For some people, family is a source of joy, support and comfort. For others, it’s more complicated. Food, especially during the holidays, has the potential to bring families together. If you find yourself with some free time between turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, consider picking up one of these books to enter other families’ worlds and their interactions with food.
“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner
In “Crying in H Mart,” Michelle Zauner presents a raw memoir, about her relationship with her mother. Growing up, Zauner struggled to meet her mother’s high expectations, but, at the end of the day, they never failed to bond over a bowl of kalguksu, hand-cut noodle soup. As she grows up and moves away from home, Zauner begins feeling distant from her Korean identity. However, when her mother is diagnosed with cancer, she is drawn back home and reintegrated into Korean traditions and foods. This book might just leave you with a pile of soaked tissues, a craving for a warm bowl of noodles and a desire to go hug your mom.
“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith
For the Nolan family, how they will afford their next meal is an ever-present burden. In “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Betty Smith tells the story of young Francie Nolan who grows up in a very poor family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Although her parents are under constant stress, Francie finds joy in her mother’s creativity to feed the family with little ingredients — she even appreciates holding a warm cup of black coffee while sitting around the table with her family, even though she doesn’t enjoy the taste. The family’s struggles are universally relatable, but also utterly heartbreaking as something always seems to go wrong for them. As Francie grows up, these formative years in poverty impact her ability to gain upward mobility, but her family keeps her rooted. This story will help you reflect on your own family and find gratitude in the small joys of life.
“Milk Fed” by Melissa Broder
Content Warning: This book is about eating disorders.
In “Milk Fed” by Melissa Broder, food, family, religion and desire come to a head. What she eats and how many calories she consumes influence every decision the 24-year-old protagonist, Rachel, makes. Her restrictive mindset and the Jewish religion were both modeled by her mother during her upbringing — only one of which she has kept into her adulthood. As the book continues, she meets Miriam, an Orthodox Jew who works at a frozen-yogurt shop she frequently visits, and Rachel becomes intrigued by Miriam’s lifestyle, family and freedom around food. As Rachel is introduced into Miriam’s world, she begins to heal her relationship with food and family, learning that we don’t only need to satiate our hunger, but also our desire for human connection.
“Cursed Bread” by Sophie Mackintosh
Sophie Mackintosh’s novel “Cursed Bread” is inspired by a true and unsolved mystery of the mass poisoning of a French village. The book focuses on Elodie, the baker’s wife, who is unsatisfied with her repetitive life in the simple town of Pont-Saint-Esprit. Elodie’s unhappiness in her own family and home is exacerbated by her husband, who seems to be more interested in his bread and bakery than in her. Breaking the pattern of her dull life, an ambassador and his wife, Violet, arrive in town and Elodie is intrigued by their odd life. As soon as they arrive, strange things begin to happen and a mysterious illness spreads throughout the town. “Cursed Bread” grows feverish as Elodie loses her understanding of reality, leaving the reader’s eyes wide and hungry for more. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to escape their own world and become entranced by another.
Contact Siobhán Minerva at [email protected].
