from hell to challah: rising from fragile to fearless one grain at a time: a memoir

The COVID Blues

In from hell to challah, Shari Wallack shares her story of surviving the chaos of 2020. Readers join her on the road from darkness and despair, through survival, to spiritual and emotional emancipation. And along the way, she baked lots of Challah. Above all, Wallack is irresistibly hilarious and brutally honest. It is no surprise, then, that this book instructs, inspires, uplifts, and serves up a tonic to the COVID blues.

At the outset, we find Wallack upset and depressed, but perfectly lucid. Unexpectedly, she heads for a stint in a mental hospital. Next, during her stay, she learns how patients are mistreated and sacrifice their dignity. Over time, she masters the game well enough to get out. Now that Wallack is free, with the Covid-19 pandemic in high gear, she decides to set off on a cathartic road trip. By the time she returns home, she has visited eighteen destinations from coast-to-coast throughout the United States.

Journey to Renewal

To be clear, the journey is not all wide open spaces and communing with nature. However, putting that many miles on a vehicle gives you time to think. She details her innermost thoughts, hopes, and fears, as she spends time with family, friends, and total strangers. All the while, she reveals how she went from crippling depression to joy over a three-month period.

Throughout from hell to challah, we meet a multitude of colorful characters. Meanwhile, Wallack navigates an exciting and unusual voyage of self-discovery and healing. Fortunately, she made a most pleasant discovery about herself. Clearly, cooking and baking calmed and renewed her. To the great delight of readers, she provides the favorite recipes that helped her through her struggles. Hopefully, others will find the same much needed comfort and enjoyment in creating and eating this wonderful food.