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leawyo's review
2.0
Well I didn’t enjoy this. This may have been a case of the narration being terrible. Usually a memoir with the author reading is something I enjoy but this was robotic and uninteresting. Some good nuggets here about feminism and pain that women absorb but nothing seemed very researched or thought out. I wouldn’t recommend this one.
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review
3.0
🌟🌟🌟 💫
This was a memoir fused with a social history, and for me it was a fascinating concept that didn’t deliver. I think it perhaps overreached in terms of what it tried to cover, and it just didn’t work for me. The social history was quite heavily integrated early in the book, but dropped off considerably as the book progressed (it would have been more effective to have kept it as alternating chapters alongside the memoir aspect).
I must say I was more drawn in by the history of jell-o in the context of feminist history particularly, I find the postwar period really fascinating in terms of the way food products are a lens for what was happening domestically in the US in terms of gender relations. This side of the book was fascinating, and having studied this significantly as a history student I was surprised the author didn’t discuss Elaine Tyler May’s theory of domestic containment at all.
This was a memoir fused with a social history, and for me it was a fascinating concept that didn’t deliver. I think it perhaps overreached in terms of what it tried to cover, and it just didn’t work for me. The social history was quite heavily integrated early in the book, but dropped off considerably as the book progressed (it would have been more effective to have kept it as alternating chapters alongside the memoir aspect).
I must say I was more drawn in by the history of jell-o in the context of feminist history particularly, I find the postwar period really fascinating in terms of the way food products are a lens for what was happening domestically in the US in terms of gender relations. This side of the book was fascinating, and having studied this significantly as a history student I was surprised the author didn’t discuss Elaine Tyler May’s theory of domestic containment at all.
jedireader1138's review
1.0
After 92 pages of this book, I have decided to return it to the library.
malificent13's review
1.0
Jell-O, the patriarchy, and how it impacted a very wealthy family. Could have been interesting, but failed. Finished only because I still find myself unable to leave a book unfinished because of the POSSIBILITY the last chapter will make the agony worth it, but rarely does. This was not worth it.
janetgraberdc's review
2.0
I gave this book a try because I read good reviews and am taking a deep dive into different forms of memoir lately. I thought this was overwritten and overreaches. I am sympathetic to her points about how culture shapes expectations of women (and all of us) but it feels clunky here.
gmd316's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Very interesting premise but ultimately a memoir about a mother and daughter and illness not about Jello or legacy