Thursday, October 28, 2010

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard.

Lunch in Paris

Summary
Elizabeth Bard's recounting of falling in love in Paris and settling into a new life. At the end of each chapter are recipes that define each chapter in her life.

Source
I don't remember how I heard about this memoir but I know what drew me in: food, love and Paris!

My thoughts
The recipes appealed to me more than the ones in a similar memoir (Cooking for Mr. Latte) and I will probably try my hand at a few of them. However, what I thought was most interesting about this book was not the food. I was more interested in her experience living as an American in France, how she views the world differently from her husband. Knowing how to live the American dream, she pushes her husband with a more practical career to pursue his dream career. While she supports her husband, she loses herself a bit and ultimately figures out what she wants to do through food! Another interesting chapter was going through the sickness and death of her father-in-law and how the French medical system is different from the North American one (no questioning the doctor because he's always right).

Monday, October 25, 2010

Pearl of China

Pearl of China by Anchee Min.

Pearl of China

Summary
A fictional friendship between future author Pearl Buck and a Chinese girl named Willow.

Source
I heard Anchee Min discuss this novel on cbcradio's Writers & Company.

My thoughts
I thought some of the plots unrealistic: how Willow ended up marrying a top Communist, having a child so late in life, meeting Nixon, etc. Really? After all that, I still didn't feel much empathy for Willow. I would have wanted to learn more about Pearl Buck, but I think a more factual account of her life. I might look up a biography or re-read some of her novels. I was also intrigued by Madame Mao and may try to read Anchee Min's Becoming Madame Mao. I also learned a new word: proletarian, which is a key movement in the book.