“There are so many flavors of normal, it doesn’t matter which one I am.”
What a fabulous quote from a debut novel that will come out in April, The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry. This is the story of Ginny Selvaggio, a young with Asperger’s syndrome. Her parents die tragically and Ginny and her sister have to coexist. Like many adults today, Ginny’s Aspergers was never diagnosed as a child. I don’t know much about Aspergers so I found this novel both gripping and instructional.
Ginny loves to cook. Cooking is her outlet from Aspergers. The rhythm of following a recipe calms her. As she works through her grief, she cooks ALOT. She finds that she begins seeing the ghost of the person who gave her the recipe she is making. While I thought I would find this hard to believe, McHenry does a masterful job of making the story completely believable.
Ginny’s sister, Amanda, is overbearing and struggling with her own grief while raising two little girls. Amanda recognizes Ginny’s Aspergers and pushes Ginny to acknowledge it though Ginny doesn’t want to.
The recipes cited in the book sound wonderful. I want to make their grandmother’s bread soup. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel. McHenry’s writing and character development make her seem like a seasoned pro.
Anyone who has a child with Aspergers or autism should read this poignant book. Despite the grief, it is a story of hope, humor and love. I look forward to Jael McHenry writing another book soon and sharing more recipes with us!
“And the living, all of us, are more important than the dead.”
I love the quotes at the beginning of the book:
“The discover of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind that the discovery of a star.” Brillat-Savarin
“Eat what is cooked; listen to what is said.” Russian Proverb
What are you reading and where are you going?
Goldberg McDuffie Communications, Inc. provided a review copy of this book for this post. All opinions are my own.
This book is right up my alley! Love the quote about flavors of normal.
Miel, thanks! I love your site by the way
This book sounds so wonderful. I love combining reading and cooking. I just reviewed As Always, Julia, the letters between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto for my Sunday Salon, and it was so interesting to read these two women trying to figure out things like how to make mayonnaise, and whether American asparagus tastes different from French asparagus (the answer, yes).
I am so excited for Jael! And I can’t wait to read her book! XOXOX
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Alma Katsu, Andrea , Jael McHenry, Andrea , Andrea and others. Andrea said: @jaelmchenry Review of The Kitchen Daughter. Loved it! http://bit.ly/hjHFOP #GreatThoughts [...]
I’m glad to hear about this one. I have Asperger Syndrome and am always interested to read various portrayals in fiction. Thanks for reviewing it!
Sounds like a great book, and I also enjoyed the quotes from the book, thank you
Oooh, this sounds like a good one! I just finished Cutting for Stone and it blew me away. Definitely in my top ten.
I LOVE books that incorporate recipes! Can’t wait to check this out.
I LOVE that quote, and that picture on the front cover is the type that would make me buy the book if I saw it in the store! Love it!
Have I told you how much I rely on you and this site for my book recommendations?! And I love how you pull such exquisite quotes that capture the essence of these books and make me want to dive in – HEAD FIRST!
Melissa, you made my day with your comment!!! xxoo
I’ve been reading The Hunger Game series. I’m going to recommend this book to my cousin thank you!
I’m so glad a writer has addressed autism in a novel. As a person who works with special needs children, I will definitely pick this one up.
[...] Kitchen Daughter. The Kitchen Daughter just came out last week. I loved it. My review is here. And, I was delighted to read about it in the new issue of O Magazine!! This book is going to be [...]