unaines's review against another edition
4.0
At times was lackluster, and felt written with a v prescribed idea of the reader - however! Absolutely loved chapters on Elderberry, Huckleberry, Juniper, Medlar & Sugarcane - I learnt a lot and these essays made for great bus reading
lifeinpoetry's review against another edition
2.0
This was just okay, bound to its format in a really limiting way, until the section on her ex-husband's gluten intolerance which is when the ableism jumped out. I am definitely not a person who wants to be included in the 'we' who resents their loved ones not hiding their physical pain for my emotional comfort and who praises stoicism. This is not a fair stance from anyone, even if they have their own disabilities.
tazurrrnov's review against another edition
5.0
An absolute delight; the rarest of (nonfiction) books for me in that it genuinely did make me stop, think, and consider myself as a part of the world, and all such twee things that normally make me wrinkle my nose when I see them blurbed about. Kate Lebo comes across as a thoughtful, unhappy person, someone I would really love to speak with and befriend -- her gift for verbs (word choice and comparison choice in general, in fact, but her verbs in particular) is unparalleled. The leaps that her mind goes on from fruit issues to human issues are unexpected and sometimes difficult to understand immediately, but by the end of each individual section, it all makes flawless sense. If I could make one microscopic criticism of an otherwise flawless book, it would be that I was concerned by the messaging in the section on herbal abortions -- while Lebo makes good points about the difficulty and unpleasantness of the current medical option, I think what she writes does trend towards the scientifically irresponsible. But otherwise, Lebo is refreshingly honest and respectful of her subject matter, frequently draws from Native American sources when discussing native American plants, doesn't flinch away from or whitewash difficult topics such as violent racism. I was, quite honestly, sad to get to Z for Zucchini, and could easily have kept reading this and agreeing with her forever. I loved her voice as a narrator, and even though she was just narrating small, significant moments from her life within the framework of difficult fruit, I was still somehow on the edge of my seat and engrossed by the storyline she was crafting (and each story came to a satisfying conclusion, in particular that of her previous marriage to a man referred to only as W). She is not the villain or the hero of her own story; she's simply living it, and growing, maturing into a more complicated fruit.
Finally, a favorite line of mine: "Summer glow and fair warning, true cherry and almost almond, the promise and poison from deep in their seeds." AND THIS IS A COOKBOOK????????
While I will doubtless never make a single recipe that Lebo includes in her book, reading it did make me want to be the sort of person that would at the very least consider it. I did faithfully read every single one -- even the plain old recipes are still somehow engrossing and un-put-down-able.
Finally, a favorite line of mine: "Summer glow and fair warning, true cherry and almost almond, the promise and poison from deep in their seeds." AND THIS IS A COOKBOOK????????
While I will doubtless never make a single recipe that Lebo includes in her book, reading it did make me want to be the sort of person that would at the very least consider it. I did faithfully read every single one -- even the plain old recipes are still somehow engrossing and un-put-down-able.
daniellekat's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
Ugh. I should probably mark this as DNF but I'm going to cheat. I read 8 of the 26 essays, and then skim-read another 7. This was not at all what I expected nor what I feel like this book advertised. The title notes "Arguments for the tart, tender, and unruly" so I was expecting some history, science and maybe some folklore content within each essay. Instead, this was a collection of memoir vignettes loosely related to each fruit the author selected. While I enjoyed the first couple of essays, the style quickly became formulaic and redundant...basically some personal anecdote with a fruit as a background character. For example, 'Elderberry' was entirely about the author's grandfather's funeral and there was a elderberry bush in the yard. Or 'Kiwifruit' was about her mother's job at a nursing home and how she peeled a kiwi. This was exhausting to read. If this was maybe 10-12 essays long it might have been more manageable but the repetition was mind-numbing, especially considering the snapshot anecdotes were not particularly interesting. The only positive take away were the unique recipes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Mental illness, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
willdarlingg's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
4.0
Lebo's storytelling is soft, heartfelt, and informative, as she explores the world of difficul and complicated fruits, vegetables, plants, etc. I learned so much, and forgot a lot of it, but I'm looking forward to planting things in a garden one day and then use the things I learned and the recipes that Lebo included. The combination of fact, family history, and the history of the plants themselves mix together beautifully, growing into a book that hits all of the emotional chords. If you're looking for something slow, pensive, informative, and engaging - Difficult Fruit brings it all to the table, and Kate Lebo ensures it tastes lovely.
baby_mcbabyface's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
5.0
jchant's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This is an A-to-Z of what the author terms "difficult fruit", but I would argue that some aren't difficult—she includes Italian plums, cherries and rhubarb, for instance. Ms Lebo also included fruits that I had never heard of, and some, like durian, that I had heard of, but hope to never encounter in real life. Each fruit chapter includes an essay as well as two recipes, but I have to admit that I was more interested in the essays, which often delved into sad or painful stories from her life, or the lives of family members. Hmm, maybe that's the "difficult fruit".
If you are a gardener, a baker, or just someone who is interested in personal essays, you will enjoy this book.
If you are a gardener, a baker, or just someone who is interested in personal essays, you will enjoy this book.