Often I don't really like first-person, voice-only pieces -- too self-indulgent, sometimes too whiny, or trying too hard to be witty. But this one is really nice -- it's personal but not myopic, and I like the way she starts with the cake (mmmm...cake...) and uses it to explore her family. A nice linking of food and emotions, which so often go together. It's also undated and not location-specific, which would make it a good drop-in just about anywhere.
Review of A Cook's Notebook: Sorrow & Joy Cake
Tara Anderson
Posted on July 15, 2004 at 12:44 PM
Often I don't really like first-person, voice-only pieces -- too self-indulgent, sometimes too whiny, or trying too hard to be witty. But this one is really nice -- it's personal but not myopic, and I like the way she starts with the cake (mmmm...cake...) and uses it to explore her family. A nice linking of food and emotions, which so often go together. It's also undated and not location-specific, which would make it a good drop-in just about anywhere.