The Lager Queen Of Minnesota: A Novel

(Hardback)

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A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest Edith Magnusson's rhubarb pies are famous in the Twin Cities--they were named the third-best in the state of Minnesota and St. Anthony-Waterside Nursing Home has quickly becomes the hottest dinner ticket in town. Still, she lays awake wondering how her life might have been different if her father hadn't left their family farm to her sister Helen, a decision that split their family in two. With the proceeds from the farm, her sister, Helen Blotz, built her husband Orval's family soda business into the top selling brewery in Minnesota. She singlehandedly created the light beer revolution and made their corporate motto ubiquitous- "Drink lots, it's Blotz." But Helen dismisses IPAs as a fad, and the Blotz fortune begins its inevitable decline. Soon, though, she finds a potential savior that's surprisingly close to home. . . Diana Winter earns a shot at learning the beer business from the ground up just as the IPA revolution begins. The stakes couldn't be higher- just as she's launching her own brewpub, she's due to deliver a baby girl. When the unthinkable happens, it's up to Grandma Edith--and a delightfully surprising cadre of grandmother friends--to secure the next generation's chances for a better future. Can Grandma Edith's Rhubarb Pie In A Bottle Ale save Diana's fledgling brewery, and change their hearts and fortunes forever The Lager Queen of Minnesota serves up a cast of lovable, quintessentially Midwestern characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting, humorous, emotional family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.

Reviews

Praise for The Lager Queen of Minnesota:

This charmer of a tale is a loving ode to the Midwest, the power of persistence and, perhaps above all, beer. . . Warm, witty and--like any good craft beer--complex, the saga delivers a subtly feminist and wholly life-affirming message.
People Magazine

This generous spirit makes The Lager Queen of Minnesota a pleasure to read and the perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day.
Washington Post

Delightfully intoxicating. . .will make you smile with its droll humor, and its poignant moments will stop you to reread and confirm that they are really that good. In beer-geek slang, Stradals novel is crushable easygoing, well-balanced, super-drinkable with tons of flavor and will make you go back for more.
USA Today

In Stradals follow-up to his best-selling debut, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, the Minnesota natives energetic prose once again captures the optimism of the heartland.
Time Magazine

Complex female characters, tragedies, and descriptions. . . will awaken all your senses. . .The book isThe Lager Queen of Minnesota, but this release could cement J. Ryan Stradal as the King of Midwestern novels.
Entertainment Weekly

I read J. Ryan Stradals Kitchens of the Great Midwest on a flight. I buckled my seatbelt, opened the book and when I looked up again, the flight attendant was asking if I needed assistance getting off the plane. I didnt, but now you know the spell this author can cast. He does it again withThe Lager Queen of Minnesota.
Elisabeth Egan for The New York Times

The fortunes and foibles of a brewery mirror the relationship between two sisters tussling over a family farm in this quirky, enchanting novel reminiscent of Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres.
O Magazine

Everything about this book satisfies from how the characters grow to how beer-making is described to Stradal's hilarious assessment of lagers vs. IPAs. You may never drink a beer in ignorance again.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Wonderful. . . Stradals gift for getting the reader to invest in these lives is particularly profound.
The Chicago Tribune

Delightful.
New York Post

Stradal's second novel goes down easy. Imbued with Midwestern references and the importance of a 'can-do' attitude, this warm, witty novel willappeal to fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Meg Wolitzer.
Booklist(starred)

This book tastes great, is quite filling and never bitter.
BookPage(starred)

Stradalswriting is sharp and funny while still managing to treat each character with warmth and respect. . . this is an ultimately hopeful and heartwarming story. . . . Readers will love watching these truly original characters overcome their challenges and take care of each other. An absolutely delightful read, perfect for a summer day with a good beer and a piece of pie.
Kirkus Reviews (starred)

Refreshing. . .This story about how a family business succeeds with generations of strong and determined women at the helm makes for a sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always winning novel.
Publishers Weekly

Brilliant. . . a love letter to the Midwest. . . its hard to put down not only because the storytelling is so seamless and the characters so relatable, but because the author's delight in the written word is so contagious.
Jen Sincero, #1 New York Times bestselling author of You Are a Badass

Utterly charming. . . Stradal loves and knows his territory, and his affection for the Midwestwith all its stubbornness, stoicism, long memories, readiness to provide aid and quiet pride in excellence--gleams on every page.
Janet Fitch, bestselling author ofThe Revolution of Marina M.

The Lager Queen of Minnesotais pure reading joy: warm, funny, informative, and full of heart. It is impossible not to root for Stradal's characters, who are so vivid, and relatable that you will miss them every time you set the book down; indeed, if you set it down at all.
Jonathan Evison, New York Times bestselling author of Lawn Boy

Warm, whimsical, incredibly well-written and infused with Stradals signature sympathy for his characters--those everyday heroes we all know and love. . . a thorough delight, from beginning to end.
Nickolas Butler, internationally bestselling author of Shotgun Lovesongs

Full of the easy-to-love quaffability of a perfect ale, Stradals The Lager Queen of Minnesota will warm your heart. With empathy, love, wisdom and humor on every page, I wish I could go back for more.
Jade Chang, author ofThe Wangs vs. The World

"The Lager Queen of Minnesota is the kind of book you think about all day, while at work, while speaking to someone else, while in line at the market. . . . I loved this book so much. I carried it with me like a talisman, marveling at the unique storytelling of J. Ryan Stradal, who knows his people so well. It's a portrait of America, of place and land and neighborhood, and, of course, a celebration of beer."
Susan Straight, author of Highwire Moon

"A book to make you laugh and cry and believe the best days of your life are still in front of you."
Ben Loory, author of Tales of Falling and Flying

Author Bio

J. Ryan Stradal is a contributing editor at TASTE Magazine. His bestselling debut, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, won the 2016 American Booksellers Association Indie's Choice Award for Adult Debut Book of the Year and also the 2016 Midwest Booksellers Choice Award for debut fiction. Born and raised in Minnesota, he now lives in Los Angeles.