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ruth24's review against another edition
5.0
Please note that I received this book in a giveaway from Thomas Allen & Son.
This. book. was. so. good.
I sensed right away that I would like it based on the cover and the blurb. It's been almost three weeks now since I read it, so I can't talk about it as eloquently as I would like to, but I'll try!
The Last Days of Cafe Leila made me super interested in Iranian culture and food, and after I finished it, I added a bunch of books about Iran to my TBR list. Shortly after finishing it I also made friends with a Persian girl and she took me out to try all the amazing foods I read about in this book. How serendipitous! I wish books came to me in the mail with a set menu, a playlist, scent cards etc., though honestly with a great book like this that makes you sense all that stuff anyway, it's not really necessary!
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the experience of eating and/or who struggles with duality in their identity.
This. book. was. so. good.
I sensed right away that I would like it based on the cover and the blurb. It's been almost three weeks now since I read it, so I can't talk about it as eloquently as I would like to, but I'll try!
The Last Days of Cafe Leila made me super interested in Iranian culture and food, and after I finished it, I added a bunch of books about Iran to my TBR list. Shortly after finishing it I also made friends with a Persian girl and she took me out to try all the amazing foods I read about in this book. How serendipitous! I wish books came to me in the mail with a set menu, a playlist, scent cards etc., though honestly with a great book like this that makes you sense all that stuff anyway, it's not really necessary!
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the experience of eating and/or who struggles with duality in their identity.
rampaginglibrarian's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
katyifky's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
michelleloretta's review against another edition
3.0
Beautiful but too fluffy for my taste. Conflicts and challenges too easily resolved, not enough meat. It's a light quick read.
kdeligreeds's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved the combination of family history, recipes, and drama.
quiltmom14's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one - and yes, the food descriptions helped make it amazing. (The author used to be a chef so the descriptions are REALLY good). The characters were interesting, the locations were beautifully described, the situation in Tehran was made crystal clear. As an immigrant, I could totally understand and empathize with the main character’s inner conflicts. However...I hated the ending....so 4 stars instead of more.
seeinghowitgoes's review against another edition
5.0
At times this novel brought me to tears, walking through the crowds at my train station I suddenly felt my chest heave with pain and for the rest of the night I was consumed with thoughts of Cafe Leila and the four generations of family who had laughed, loved and lived in its walls.
Despite having lived in America for the past 30 years, it's to her homeland Iran and Cafe Leila that Noor turns to when her marriage begins to disintegrate, dragging a reluctant Americanised daughter in her wake. She has returned to see her father Zod, an endearing totem standing strong in the walls of her childhood home, but it doesn't take long for her to realise that the Tehran of her childhood is very different to the reality of today.
Broken into generations of family, we explore via music, food, family, culture and the sheer poetry of words what it is to have an identity. As a child of immigrants the entire novel struck a chord with me, and I devoured every word.
Despite having lived in America for the past 30 years, it's to her homeland Iran and Cafe Leila that Noor turns to when her marriage begins to disintegrate, dragging a reluctant Americanised daughter in her wake. She has returned to see her father Zod, an endearing totem standing strong in the walls of her childhood home, but it doesn't take long for her to realise that the Tehran of her childhood is very different to the reality of today.
Broken into generations of family, we explore via music, food, family, culture and the sheer poetry of words what it is to have an identity. As a child of immigrants the entire novel struck a chord with me, and I devoured every word.
zellm's review against another edition
3.0
Heartwarming but very slow paced. I enjoyed the story and the family, but felt that the characters were underdeveloped and there wasn't much growth in them. Beautiful writing but felt like a lot of filler in the beginning/middle, then super quickly moving suddenly at the end.