break bread

I’m a married woman in my 30s with a horror of vacationing in hot places, breaking bread with strangers and visiting ports of call where the local culture consists of Margaritavilles and novelty T-shirt shops.

In “Bel Canto,” Patchett concocts an almost fantastical scenario: What would happen if in the course of a months-long hostage crisis, the militants and civilians broke bread and sought comfort in each other?

That knowledge came from being a film composer and also so many colleagues in the film world, who I’ve had a chance to break bread with.

I named my podcast breaking bread because I’m huge into baking bread and I love to host dinners and get-togethers.

“I love these people. These are people we’ve broken bread with. ... How do you tell somebody your house is still standing but theirs is not?”