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A review by tidoublegarrr
We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by José Andrés
3.0
I have great admiration and respect for José Andrés, World Central Kitchen, and all the incredible disaster relief work they have done around the world and beginning in Puerto Rico. It's miraculous how fast they got off the ground there, made so many meals, and were able to distribute them without having a set-up plan or infrastructure. They are true heroes making it happen on the ground in the toughest disasters.
But....The first part of the book was really interesting, then sadly got repetitive so it took me a long time to get through. It's a damning look at FEMA and the Red Cross, and at times it felt like the infighting and José's focus on them got away from the truth of the book and his work there. He's a big personality and clashed with a lot of people (admittedly for the right reason of trying to feed the island). The book could have used heavier editing and cut out maybe 50-100 pages. I would have liked to hear more from the actual volunteers and people on Puerto Rico too.
But....The first part of the book was really interesting, then sadly got repetitive so it took me a long time to get through. It's a damning look at FEMA and the Red Cross, and at times it felt like the infighting and José's focus on them got away from the truth of the book and his work there. He's a big personality and clashed with a lot of people (admittedly for the right reason of trying to feed the island). The book could have used heavier editing and cut out maybe 50-100 pages. I would have liked to hear more from the actual volunteers and people on Puerto Rico too.