Publication Date: June 11th 2019
Pages: 320
Review copy from publisher
Nathalie Tan's mother recently passed away. After having words with her mother, Nathalie had left home seven years earlier and moved to Montreal and now she will never see her again without saying farewell. Home is San Francisco's Chinatown, which in the book is in a little state of decline. Many traditional Chinese family owned stores are closing down after decades, and the empty properties fall in the hands of project developers for high rent or selling prices. She also learns there her mother had a bad form of agoraphobia and it seems the community wasn't much of a help to her.
The Chinese restaurant that was opened by Nathalie's grandmother is now closed for years, but when Nathalie's mom passes away, Nathalie finds out she has inherited it. What can she do with a restaurant that has been closed for years? She also inherits her grandmother's Chinese cookbook, that has some very good and authentic recipes in it that have a littlebit of magic, it seems. The neighborhood seer reads the restaurant's fortune in the leaves: Natalie must cook three recipes from her grandmother's cookbook to aid her struggling neighbors before the restaurant will succeed. But why aid them when they were not there for her mother?When she starts to try out cooking some of the restaurant, things start to happen and unfold. First of all, some people are just coming to the closed restaurant because of the smell of the dumplings, like Daniel, who just peeks his head into the open window of the restaurant and becomes a frequent proof taster, and even a romantic interest for Nathalie. During the story, Nathalie learns more and more about her estranged mother and grandmother, why there are three ripped pages missing in the , cookbook, and the people of Chinatown and her own heritage. Will she succeed in making a succes of the restaurant??
There are some books that you instantly like, and this was certainly the case for this one!
As I am always very interested in everything Chinese, especially cooking, and I love going to the Chinatown in my country, and I love books set in San Francisco, this was a book that immediately triggered my interest so I was happy that I got the chance to review it!!
The story and plot where just very original and nothing like I have ever found in another book. The main character Nathalie was just awesome and just someone you immediately like. I also loved that the author made her cat Mei Mei such a cute partner for her, that really was adorable and I really liked how the cat was sometimes truly adding to some of the magic of the story and pointing out things for Nathalie. And what was also brilliant was that you could almost hear the erhu player playing his beautiful music in the street. The cooking plays a huge part in this book (there are some pretty amazing Chinese recipes added!!) and the struggle for Nathalie if her restaurant will be a succes was very entertaining to read. Also where the other struggles Nathalie had to overcome involving her families past, and the connection that has with the people in the neighborhood. Overall, this is very good book that makes you hungry for more!!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave a comment here, but keep it nice!