HOW TO MAKE VICTORIA SPONGE

Margaret Kazmierczak's book How to make Victoria Sponge was incredibly compelling. I fell in love with the Sponge family. The character, Victoria Sponge, continually responds to life's messiness with love and grace. In the most heart wrenching moments in the book, especially after her son Johnny is maliciously bullied at school, Vicki turns to Jesus so his love can smooth over all the rough spots. I found myself laughing and crying about the daily events this family came up against, yet how graciously Bob and Victoria (the mother and father) responded to their children and to their day-to-day challenges. One quote that was highlighted to me in the book was when, after a really traumatizing day, Victoria says, "may I have planted [Jesus'] seed into the lives of others through my work and actions, so that when [Jesus'] rain shines upon them they produce a rich harvest." To me, this is the theme of the book--seeds being planted even on the weariest of days. Nothing can interfere with Christ's love being lived out on a day-to-day basis. On her most gritty day, Victoria has her evening prayer and Jesus says to her, "Vicki, I asked you to be with me in the Garden of Gethsemane, to stay awake and be of comfort to me in my time of anguish. You were not found asleep or failing in your response." Vicki then asks, "When was I in Gethsemane Lord?" He gently responds, "When you listened to your son's anguish I was weeping too and when your heart was breaking at the sight of your son's agony, my sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood." Victoria's intimacy with Jesus during her most trying moments is what made me love this book so much. We can all find ourselves in this book, and in doing so we can live our lives differently, full of grace and hope and love even during despairing times. I would highly recommend getting to know the Sponge family in this beautifully written book.

This book is powerful in so many ways that I don’t even know where to begin! A major part of its power is in its uniqueness. I love the mixture of intense themes and slapstick humor. Specifically, I love the mixture of messages learned through comic situations and tragic situations.

The main character, Victoria Sponge, works in a preschool. This is the vehicle that the author uses to sweetly teach us some important life lessons. A few of the skills that Victoria learns from her students follow: stay grounded, live in the present, take a hands-on approach to life, keep it simple, be humble, be pure, and trust in God.

Some of the important issues addressed in the book include bullying and dealing with mental challenges.

The book is full of wonderful quotes. My favorites are “With Me everything is possible for those that believe.”; “Take something positive from a situation even when it presents itself in a negative form.”, and; “Never underestimate your potential.”

The ending of the book was completely unexpected, mind-blowing, and empowering. It was so unique and profound that it moved me to tears. To say that it really made me think would be an understatement.

I highly recommend this book to all!