UNPASTEURIZED: an intergenerational story of love, loss, and sacrifice, culminating in a deeper understanding of self-purpose

Unpasteurized is a beautiful and captivating novella by Lisa Lynn Biggar that takes you on a journey through the lives of the characters, filled with love, loss, and sacrifice. The author effortlessly weaves together the stories of the intergenerational family on a farm in Pennsylvania, creating a rich tapestry of emotions and memories. This beautifully written novella-in-flash will leave you feeling nostalgic and longing for a simpler time. It is a must-read for anyone who appreciates great storytelling and is sure to stay with you long after you turn the final page. Unpasteurized is a poignant novella-in-flash, and Lisa Lynn Biggar breathes new life into this form, deftly creating one unforgettable flash fiction after another, revealing the vivid intergenerational characters of a family, with their fierce love, bittersweet regrets, and a young narrator who longs for another path on life’s journey. Biggar’s artistry is not only on display with her masterful depictions of those who populate these distinctive stories but also the place they inhabit, the bucolic landscapes of Eastern Pennsylvania. Many of the affecting features in this novella, the dairy farm, the creeks, the abundant berry bushes along a stone wall, evoke the senses of this summer place, this place of belonging, even after a long absence. A magnificent debut by a writer to watch. ~ Dan Crawley, author of Straight Down the Road, The Wind it Swirls, and the forthcoming Blur Lisa Lynn Biggar’s novella-in-flash, Unpasteurized, is written in the perfect voice– that of a young girl, Jessie, who recounts her sometimes exhilarating, sometimes poignant and sometimes painful experiences, all of which are anchored to her grandparents’ farm. The details are authentic markers that serve to bring the family to vivid life–the grandmother, the grandfather, the uncles, the cousins, and yes, even the animals, that are such an intrinsic part of the story. Like any family, this one too has its share of challenges and contentions, its secrets and tribulations. Underneath it all, though, Biggar knits warmth into the story, allowing the reader to not just follow the lives of the characters, but to root for them. This story might be in novella form, but the richness of the tale will leave a big impact on the reader’s mind. ~ Sudha Balagopal, author of Things I Can’t Tell Amma, A New Dawn, There are Seven Notes, and Missing and other Stories I loved this wonderful coming-of-age story and was totally captivated by Jessie’s journey from child to teenager to young woman, all under the watchful eye of her hardworking, strong, matriarchal grandmother. The story is beautifully told. We share Jessie’s struggles, her feeling of being ‘two people’ – one who spends summers at the family farm, the other at school in Maryland. In the end, this is a tale about choices, about who Jessie decides to become, which of those two girls in her wins out and which experiences shape her future. I was glad to discover which path she chose and felt sure her grandmother would approve. A book full of characters who will live with me for a long time to come. ~ Karen Jones, author of When It’s Not Called Making Love