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audreybethc's review against another edition
5.0
I will re-read this book. This is a great summer read- I know it's cliche but this book just evokes a feeling that I want to return to, and the only proper adjective I can think of is "rich"... in taste and quality context. The family stories are hilarious, the description of life in different places is intriguing, and I literally drooled over the description of food throughout the entire book. I felt transported to Diana's family dinner. This book reinforced the love that I have for my family.
I also had a chance to go to a reading and question and answer discussion with the author. She made me love the book even more, just because she is very true to herself in the writing of the book. She shared many family stories at the reading, and each was just as entertaining as the book. In person, as in the book, she stressed the importance of constantly developing as a person, but not being afraid to be a part of something that will never change.
I also had a chance to go to a reading and question and answer discussion with the author. She made me love the book even more, just because she is very true to herself in the writing of the book. She shared many family stories at the reading, and each was just as entertaining as the book. In person, as in the book, she stressed the importance of constantly developing as a person, but not being afraid to be a part of something that will never change.
rebecita's review against another edition
4.0
Culinary memoir, eh? Sounds like a winner to me. Actually, so much foodwriting is shamelessly exhibitionist, a shower of sensory description, a contest to see who can worship more lavishly at the alter of the edible. And a lot of memoir is distracted by the need to editorialize on one's journey. So culinary memoir tends to center on The Nostalgically Delicious and Impossibly Meaningful Meal of Yore. This author's story unfolds naturally, her vivid recollections of shared family meals in the US and Jordan intimately tied into her shifting sense of identity. Turns out she had been working on another project, not intending to write about herself or food at all. Err, my issues with genre aside, it's a beautiful book, funny and insightful.
kserra's review against another edition
4.0
Charming, beautifully written, but I wish it contained a bit more analysis in additional to the memoir and the recipes.
dmsleeve's review against another edition
2.0
I did not find this book "vibrant and humorous" like the jacket claimed. I found it sad and depressing. Most of the stories were upsetting and I didn't find the humor in them at all.
amysbrittain's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me hungry. I loved the recipes placed strategically throughout, and linked to the author's life story and pivotal events. Abu-Jaber writes beautifully and effortlessly transports you to Jordan, upstate New York, and back again through food, family, and cultural conflicts/melding. She reflects on what it means to be Jordanian or American or both, and through exploring her own journeys as well as her father's, she comes to find peace with who she is and where she's been.
haya's review against another edition
4.0
recipes and stories that make me nostalgic for another lifetime. this one is a keeper
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
5.0
A passionate, endearing, and engrossing autobiography. Who doesn't recall food from their childhood with pain and affection? Stories are interspersed with recipes (delicious ones, too, having made a few myself!) and it feels like you're sitting down with Ms Abu-Jaber at her dining table, listening to her chat as she cooks.