One Cup at a Time
Finding Coffee, Love, and Happiness
Bellefeuille delivers a warm, inviting, coffee-rich book that’s perfect for those who are passionate about their cups of joe.
A rich cup of coffee and a good book make a great pair. They are brought together in One Cup at a Time, a delightful collection of stories, trivia, and sayings that will warm the heart and soul.
Author Debra-Lynn Bellefeuille has crafted a cozy book filled to the brim with coffee lore, coffee stories, coffee recipes, and even coffee-based memories. The text contains lighthearted trivia, such as how the phrase “cup of joe” came about. The inviting tone is akin to being nestled in a coffee shop, listening to good music, and chatting with a friend over a steamy mug.
At times bare and heartfelt, and at other times humorous, the volume includes the history of, and facts about, coffee alongside cute sayings, such as “instant human—just add coffee,” and “If asked, ‘How do you take your coffee?’ I reply, ‘Seriously. Very Seriously.’” Yet the book is also part memoir. The author writes of her travels, including living in London as a Canadian, and her patriotic connection to Tim Hortons.
Through Bellefeuille, coffee time is presented as both a safe space and a relaxing pastime. She often writes of people-watching, one of her favorite pastimes, while warming her hands with a hot mug as she watches the world go by. Sometimes her travels are through her mug, and sometimes they end with that special roasted bean drink, but her world is always best lived and enjoyed with coffee.
The book is well organized, flowing from subject to subject, and is divided by headings to clue the reader into the next section. The flow is assisted by the way the personal stories are, for the most part, in chronological order. The layout and design are smooth, leaving enough room for images and coffee sayings without these overwhelming the text.
A first-time author, Bellefeuille brews a unique book by striking a balance between anecdotes and universal knowledge and facts. She includes her own pictures, which make the text even more personable and inviting, alongside topics like “Morning Rituals,” “Who Consumes the Most Coffee?,” and “Coffee in Canada.” A bibliography and a resources section are also included. While the volume as a whole covers many different areas and subjects, it often reads like catching up with an old friend.
With One Cup at a Time, Bellefeuille delivers a warm, inviting, coffee-rich book that’s perfect for those who are passionate about their cups of joe.
Reviewed by
Beth VanHouten
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
