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Janice H. (Savage, Minnesota)
Discovery in the Kitchen
I loved this book. I enjoyed learning more about Ginny, from her perspective as the story unfolds. Her 'symptom' , although never diagnosed adds to her fight for a new independence and her grief after the sudden loss of both parents. It's a wonderful story of two sisters' love and disagreements as they try to figure out life as it is now. It is a great book for book clubs. It opens the way to discussions on the secrets families keep from each other, the help we get from our friends, coming to terms with our personality differences, ghosts from the past and giving up some crutches in order to grow and move on.
…more You'll have to read the book for yourself to find out why. (less)This was great! It was a very enjoyable mix of family, food, and magical realism fiction, with a very appealing narrator. I'd recommend it to book clubs, people who enjoy fiction featuring cooking and food, and fans of Alice Hoffman or Sarah Addison Allen. Ginny is a very shy young woman with Aspergers, though she doesn't know it. She copes with stimulation overload by cooking or imagining cooking, with all its evocative tastes and smells and textures. Recipes are included. She is an excellent chef, though not formally schooled. She and her sister Amanda have just lost their parents in an accident. Amanda, who
…more lives with her husband and small kids, wants to sell the house, while Ginny doesn't want any changes. Ginny finds that her cooking can draw up family members' ghosts, who seem to be warning her about something. What she learns about her family history, her personal growth, and the sisters' relationship is the crux of the novel's plot. The book comes out in April 2011; I read an advance reader's copy courtesy of Bookbrowse. (less)Normal is a small town in Illinois. However, that is the question that perplexes Ginny. It seems to be slow in the beginning but gradually I became engaged in Ginny's struggle.
She related to the world around her with fear but also through food and food memories. In cooking recipes, she evokes significant family members. As I read, I had my own food memories and growing experiences. Normal is a spectrum and by the end, Ginny had reached an important understanding of herself and others.
Nancy E. (Sturgeon Bay, wi)
The Kitchen Daughter
I truly enjoyed reading this book. Mc Henry narrates the entire book from Ginny's, the protagonist, point of view which creates the in depth character development central to the story. Like Alice Hoffman, McHenry uses magic to season the story. And, like Hoffman, is successful at keeping the reader on that thin line between belief and disbelief. The kitchen setting with recipes and cooking provides a setting that is both interesting and instructive. This book has many themes and would be an excellent book club selection.
Karen S. (Minneapolis, MN)
A Yummy Read
I liked this book and found it a breezy read. Can't wait to share it with some girlfriends but not before trying at least four of the recipes included at the beginning of some chapters
Ginny is such an original character--I felt great empathy for her. She reveals the importance of always reaching for your best and never judging the actions of others as we often do not know the full story.
Savor this story!
Pat M. (san antonio, TX)
The Kitchen Daughter
The protagonist faces unique problems and situations, but food is a constant. I was surrounded by smells and tastes while reading this book. While slicing and dicing, the author cooks up a recipe for success and insight into a rare state of being. If my book club read this book we would have to serve food at our meeting. The book was yummy.
Pamela D. (Wheaton, IL)
The Kitchen Daughter
The Kitchen Daughter is a wonderful, magical story that I was unable to put down until I had finished the book. The author has written a wonderful main character in Ginny, a young woman with Asperger's. The story enables the reader to live inside the mind of someone with Asperger's and also see how it affects family members, especially when dealing with loss and grief. This book really touched me as I have a three year old grandson who is autistic and I believe we need to understand so much more about autism than we do now. I cannot wait to recommend this book to my book group.
Susan G. (Charlotte, NC)
Food is love
Food is comfort. Food is love. Food is memory. All of these themes are explored in a story about family, about recipes and secrets passed down through generations, about accepting who you are. What might have been an overly-sweet story is rescued by the author who does not give in to easy resolutions. Although somewhat distracted by the references to the Normal Book, which I thought unnecessary, I found myself engrossed and caring very much about what was happening to the characters. A very good selection for a book club, especially if the hostess for the discussion has to supply the refreshments. The Midnight
…more Cry Brownies would be a divinely perfect tie-in. (less)
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