New York Times reviewed author, Rebecca S. Ramsey, released her spiritual memoir, “The Holy Éclair, Signs and Wonders from an Accidental Pilgrimage” on Dec 4.

“Ramsey takes the mundane…and turns it into nuggets of delight,” wrote The Philadelphia Inquirer of her first book, “French By Heart, An American Family’s Adventures in La Belle France.”

“The most genial Ramsey can also be satisfyingly snippy and droll,” commented The New York Times.

In “The Holy Éclair,” Ramsey takes readers on the spiritual adventure she didn’t share in “French by Heart”:

American mom and Baptist church lady Becky Ramsey moves to France knowing her family’s life will change, but her faith? Why would it? The quirky new friend gives her a holy card she found at the flea market and soon Becky finds herself on an accidental pilgrimage out of the pew and the streets of Clermont-Ferrand, France. Readers come along as she collects a ragtag assortment of unlikely saints and sacred everyday things, each earning a chapter and holy card of its own. Curious encounters with a silver haired prostitute and the ghost of Vincent Van Gogh, a bowl of cidre in stranger’s garage and an éclair chocolat at Patisserie Antoinette, among others, whisper into her workaholic heart, revealing the wildness of God’s love, tempting her to let go of her striving to become God’s teacher’s pet finally accept grace for herself.

Michelle DeRusha, author “Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk” says, “Becky Ramsey’s deliciously vibrant memoir will whisk you on an armchair pilgrimage to a tiny village in France, where, amid cobblestone streets, a gingerbread church, and a cast of quirky characters, you’ll brush against the everyday sacredness of life. A delightful read filled with whimsy and characters, “The Holy Éclair” will leave you craving pain au chocolat and inspired to catch your own holy-ordinary glimpses of God.”

Ms. Ramsey will be signing copies of both of her books at The Garage on 25, 3461 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher, N.C. on Saturday, Dec. 16 from 4-6 p.m. The Garage is an artisan mall with over 80 vendors, and was founded by Tryon natives Lisa Preston Clark, Ellen McCown Schwab and Susan Brady, together with Kaye Youngblood of Fletcher. 

Rebecca S. Ramsey is an author, a minister to children, a blogger, and a speaker whose favorite thing to do is to frisk the ordinary for the presence of God. Writing and making things are her favorite ways to pray.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Susan Brady at garageon25@gmail.com or call The Garage at 828-376-0198.

– submitted by Susan Brady