Kitchens of the Great Midwest
J. Ryan Stradal
When Lars Thorvald's wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine--and a dashing sommelier--he's left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He's determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter--starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva's journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that's a testament to her spirit and resilience. Each chapter in J. Ryan Stradal's startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an unexpected mother-daughter story about the bittersweet nature of life--its missed opportunities and its joyful surprises. It marks the entry of a brilliant new talent.
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0 0Initial Thoughts:I really really liked this book a lot. I heard about it from @Theclaire_Necessities and put it on the hold list at the library weeks ago. I finally got it in as an audiobook right around when I was finishing up The Good Lie. Definitely a different vibe. Also please enjoy this stunning Bookstagram shot of my kitchen as it currently is. I know it’s hard to believe I didn’t set dec it.
Synopsis: This book spans across the life of Eva, but with the exception on one chapter, we get to know Eva through different points of view as someone as involved in her life as her father or as distant as a contestant in a baking competition she is judging. We watch Eva grow up though the eyes of this interesting and complex cast of characters as we get invested in their lives only to have that chapter end and the next one start years later and miles away. There was this cycle I was stuck in where every time a chapter started, I was reluctant to keep going as usually it was a stranger we were getting to know, but by time their chapter ended, I was wanting to stay in that world.
As you can probably guess by it’s title, the central subject this story swirls around is food. I listened to this book mostly while going on morning drives with my son and found myself going more frequently through a drive through to satiate my hunger that grew as the book played. As a Kansan, although the food differed from the upper Midwest where the book took place, there was a midwestern feel to the way of the characters and how they related to food that made me feel like I was on the inside.
I found myself enchanted by the wide and detailed cast of characters as we dove into a vignette of their lives while also anticipating when Eva would crash back into the storyline. The ending of this book was incredible. It perfectly wrapped up all the storylines and gave closure to all our characters in a very satisfying way. I listened to the end in the dark in my room and just sat there for a few minutes after the book needed smiling.
Final Rating: I initially gave this book 4 stars, but the more I reflected on it, I realized there wasn’t really any complaints. It was engaging, the characters were compelling, and it had my attention the whole way through. I was disappointed when I hit the last section knowing my time in Eva’s life was coming to an end.
Read this book if… you like found families, if you are a foodie, if you are from the Midwest, if you like books with different POVs, if you like coming of age stories, if you like stories covering a vast timeline.
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