![]() These characters include her hilariously foul-mouthed cousin Braque, a high-school boyfriend, and a disgruntled Sunday-supper participant, among others. Her story unfolds through chapters told from different characters’ perspectives (only one from her own), almost like linked short stories. She has a “once-in-a-generation palate” and becomes a star chef (which is perhaps not surprising since her parents are a cook and a sommelier) but not before she endures and embraces many challenges. ![]() That could be the metaphor for the life of Eva Thorvald, the novel’s main character, who we catch in glimpses from birth until her late twenties. Near the end of the novel, one character tells us that “stressed vines often lead to wonderful wines” (259). This book is much, much better than the one I imagined. ![]() A palate cleanser between heavier reads, if you will. Ryan Stradal’s debut novel, Kitchens of the Great Midwest*, I was expecting a straightforward coming-of-age novel about a girl who becomes a chef, with a few mouthwatering recipes and the strong potential for heartwarming-ness. ![]()
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