A review by glitteringeyes418
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
On this snowy day, I finished Kitchens of the Great Midwest. I wanted to dig back into the author's backlist after reading The Lager Queen of Minnesota. This novel gave similar warm and fuzzy familiar vibes but perhaps a little more sadness/darkness than his sophomore novel.
I really can't explain too much of the plot without giving much away but the novel begins with Lars Thorvald and his wife Cynthia raising their daughter Eva in Minnesota. Lars is an amazing cook and his daughter Eva also becomes a talented and enigmatic chef over the years. This novel is delicious, outlines many recipes throughout the chapters and brings us through many character's perspectives and interactions with Eva Thorvald.
I do think that the varying perspectives could have been more seamlessly integrated (at times, the various chapters read as disjointed short stories) but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I loved the juxtaposition of stuffy foodie culture with cozy comfort Midwestern cooking, the coming-of-age of Eva and the exploration of family, whether close bonds or those severed long ago. The ending, like Lager Queen's, made me want to hug the book.
CW: death of a parent, abandonment of a parent.
I really can't explain too much of the plot without giving much away but the novel begins with Lars Thorvald and his wife Cynthia raising their daughter Eva in Minnesota. Lars is an amazing cook and his daughter Eva also becomes a talented and enigmatic chef over the years. This novel is delicious, outlines many recipes throughout the chapters and brings us through many character's perspectives and interactions with Eva Thorvald.
I do think that the varying perspectives could have been more seamlessly integrated (at times, the various chapters read as disjointed short stories) but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I loved the juxtaposition of stuffy foodie culture with cozy comfort Midwestern cooking, the coming-of-age of Eva and the exploration of family, whether close bonds or those severed long ago. The ending, like Lager Queen's, made me want to hug the book.
CW: death of a parent, abandonment of a parent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent