A Vibrant Sense of Hope: The Millions Interviews J. Ryan Stradal
In his sophomore novel, The Lager Queen of Minnesota, J. Ryan Stradal captures the true essence of hopefulness in the voices of his characters. “Hope is an essential element in both of my novels. I wanted to instill a vibrant sense of both hope and kindness into these characters, who are all from towns smaller than mine, but don’t limit their world view to what they can see from their porch, which can happen anywhere.”
Stradal’s new novel is the kind of book you read and immediately want to share. It’s a story about family, hard work, and goodness. Told from the point of view of three Midwestern women—Edith, Helen, and Diana—who are set on proving themselves, the story takes readers into the world of beers and pies. The result is a charming novel that is sure to affect readers.
Stradal and I spoke via email about, among other things, the Midwest, the culinary world, and, of course, beer.
You are a writer whose first two novels, and , take place in the world of food and drink. You. And, you are a producer for “Hot Dish.” The culinary world must be a big part of your identity, right?
