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The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

The Kitchen Daughter

A Novel

by Jael McHenry

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2011, 288 pages
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for The Kitchen Daughter
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  • Deborah C. (Seattle, WA)
    The Kitchen Daughter
    The premise for this book is really interesting--it's told from the perspective of a young woman with autism spectrum disorder who can bring people back to life (temporarily) by cooking their recipes. Because the main character has Asperger's Syndrome, I kept comparing it to the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, which I felt to be a much better book. Here, the main character, Ginny, was well-developed, but that wasn't the case with the rest of the characters. The book was an enjoyable read, though, and I think it would be a good book for book clubs because it raises a lot of interesting issues, including whether Asperger's is a "disability" and the different ways people deal with loss. I guess I was just a little frustrated because the ideas raised in the book were really interesting but the execution was somewhat lacking.
  • Christine E. (Royal Oak, MI)
    A good book for Foodies
    I do not consider myself a "Foodie", one who is consumed with thoughts of food, so at first I was not enjoying the book. But the more I read the more I enjoyed it. The main character, Ginny, is a Foodie, It is a manifestation of her Asperger's Syndrome. The book is full of recipes and cooking. Has I got further into the book the storyline became more about family friendships, and the notion about what is normal. So by the time the book was finished I wished that it was longer.
  • Sheryl R. (DeQuincy, LA)
    Interesting, but . . . .
    This book, about an adult woman with Asperger's syndrome tries to answer the question, "Just what IS "normal" ? From reading the summary on the website, I expected the story to compel me. While I enjoyed the story and the themes, it was never a "can't put it down" kind of book for me. Well-written and insightful though it was, in the end, it seemed predictable, unfinished, and, well, . . "normal"!
  • Denise S. (Oakland, CA)
    A Sweet Tale
    The Kitchen Daughter is a sweet, if uneven, tale of family, love, loss and self-discovery. While the story was strong narratively, I thought the inclusion of the supernatural aspects (ghosts) and the recipes were a distraction. They gave the book a frivolity that was unnecessary. This was a moving tale of a woman with Asperger’s maneuvering her way through life after the death of her parents. Why lessen that with recipes? The story of the two sisters finding common ground was lovely. All in all a good read…just not a great one.

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