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meggo's review against another edition
3.0
There are parts of this I liked — some of the stories, the recipes, and the writing itself. But overall, I didn’t find it very compelling.
sandyd's review against another edition
5.0
An interesting memoir by a woman who grew up in upstate NY with a Jordanian immigrant father & American mother. "Bud" (the dad) dragged the family back to Jordan several times, giving Diana a good case of culture shock in both places, but also giving her an appreciation for middle eastern culture and food.
Each chapter ends with a recipe, and the descriptions of food are wonderful. The sense of family and how important it is, even when you constantly fight with them, really comes through, too.
Each chapter ends with a recipe, and the descriptions of food are wonderful. The sense of family and how important it is, even when you constantly fight with them, really comes through, too.
bookwormmichelle's review against another edition
5.0
Clearly all my favorite food memoirs involve the middle east. And have a hummus recipe somewhere. :-) Loved this one of a Jordanian-American girl and how food was a touchstone in her growing up and moving between the two countries.
robertalucy's review against another edition
5.0
The language is lovely, the characters drawn sharply, and the food descriptions divine
whatannikareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
I really enjoyed this! I love the structure of this book. The recipes woven throughout come at appropriate times; it isn't a predictable boring structure. And I love the inclusion of even the simplest of recipes because of the intimate memory it represented in the author's life. Everything sounds soooo delicious, it makes me want to buy the physical copy to try out the recipes.
I think I learned a lot about Jordanian culture—one that guiltily has slipped under my radar. But also, anyone who is an immigrant or first gen can probably find something to relate to: the huge families, the overbearing father figure, the pull between your home countries. Even though Diana was butting heads with her dad, Bud, throughout the entirety of the book and her life, he was a lovable character and I loved seeing their relationship evolve over the years. Bud is a standout character just by himself.
I also really loved the side stories of all of the relatives and friends who visited Jordan/America and the dishes they brought to the table. I read a review that complained that Diana never did any of the cooking, which I thought wasn't really valid since she didn't say she was a cook herself. The Arabic food is her way of sharing her life story and the people attached to it.
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes good food and good stories!
I think I learned a lot about Jordanian culture—one that guiltily has slipped under my radar. But also, anyone who is an immigrant or first gen can probably find something to relate to: the huge families, the overbearing father figure, the pull between your home countries. Even though Diana was butting heads with her dad, Bud, throughout the entirety of the book and her life, he was a lovable character and I loved seeing their relationship evolve over the years. Bud is a standout character just by himself.
I also really loved the side stories of all of the relatives and friends who visited Jordan/America and the dishes they brought to the table. I read a review that complained that Diana never did any of the cooking, which I thought wasn't really valid since she didn't say she was a cook herself. The Arabic food is her way of sharing her life story and the people attached to it.
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes good food and good stories!
purlewe's review against another edition
5.0
If you can get past the graphic description of slaughtering a lamb in the first chapter, this book ends up being a lovely food memoir/immigrant story of life growing up Arab American. Personally I want a book now about Uncle Sami, and another about Auntie Aya.
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