Guest Author - Nancy Welker
About two months ago, I got an email from a woman named Laura Schaefer telling me that her first book had just been published and that the story's heroine just so happened to practice Yoga.
Being a book for young teen girls, "The Teashop Girls" would not be something I'd normally buy, but after going to the website, I decided that this may be one worth reading.
I could not have been more right in that conclusion! All I can say is that this 52 year-old wife, mom and business-owner absolutely loved reading "The Teashop Girls". From the first pages it brought me back to when I was just entering my teens and read "Anne of Green Gables".
Well written and engaging, the book captures the reader's attention and keeps it until the last page is turned. From the sweetness of Annie's awkwardness around a boy she likes, to her very grown-up assessment of her grandmother's financial condition, this is one time you can step outside the age-category box without hesitation.
THE STORY
Told from the viewpoint of one teenage girl, Annie Green, "The Teashop Girls" is about three young girls who are the best of friends. Annie's grandmother, Louisa, owns a teashop called the "Steeping leaf" and in the beginning of the story Annie convinces her grandmother to allow her to work there as a barista.
Loyalty and keeping promises are central themes of this book, and Annie together with her friends Genna and Zoe, had formed a pact together years earlier in the form of "The Official Rules of the Teashop Girls". Included in that list is "Tea must be drunk out of proper cups, like china" and "A Teashop Girl will always help other Teashop Girls in need."
Working at the teashop is at first something of a victory for Annie, but as the story goes on, she also gets lessons about life as well. Her embarassment at crashing to the floor while performing an inverted Yoga pose (Sirsha Asana) in front of a cute boy named Jonathan, turns out to be of lesser importance than the big drop in business the teashop suffers once a chain coffeehouse opens up across the street.
And in the wise words of Annie's heartthrob, "....We, the younger generation, need to show your grandmother how things work these days. Longer hours, less product, higher prices......", that was how the first attempt at saving the teashop was born. Unfortunately for the "Steeping Leaf" Jonathan was completely wrong!
Friends come together during the rest of the story, on behalf of grandmom Louisa and her floundering teashop. And, as events take shape, and new characters step into the picture, Annie finds herself surprised at what ultimately takes place.
The end of the story is one that will not disappoint you, but I won't spoil it for you by telling you about i in advance!
A NOTE TO TEENS
Annie Green is probably a lot like the girl you sit next to in history or math, and she doesn't have a lot of confidence in herself. What does come shining through is her true heart and her compassion for others. Both of these things are qualities every Yogi aspires to, and make Annie a role model for all of us.
At the end of the book, there's a list called, "Annie Greene's Reasons Why Life Is Beautiful", and when you get to #3, you'll see why the spirit of giving, and seeing others we love do well, are the best things life has to offer.
I purchased my copy of "The Teashop Girls" at the Simon & Schuster website.
Links to the official website for The Teashop Girls, and to instructions for performing the Sirshasana are located at the bottom of this article.
