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fkshg8465's review
informative
medium-paced
3.0
It was a book about food and about books about food. I don’t cook, so it wasn’t something I found interesting. Read it because a friend recommended it saying it was very easy to read (it was) and a lot of fun ; it wasn’t). But I give it three stars because I believe the fault lies with me.
travelandreading's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
I thought the concept was cool (an imaginary dinner party, with each chapter about a different dinner guest, each a revolutionary women). But I don’t think it was altogether memorable and I’ve already forgotten much of what I listened to.
timhoiland's review
4.0
“I learn from Hannah Arendt that a feast is only possible among friends, or people whose hearts are open to becoming friends. Or, you could put it another way: any meal can become a feast when shared with friends engaged in the activity of thinking their way through the world and loving it together.”
perachdavida's review
3.0
The Octavia Butler and Hannah Arendt chapters were fascinating to me, and I also enjoyed the Edna Lewis and Maya Angelou. Overall though, many of the chapters felt more like a “Who Was?” book biography than anything having to do with food (except for the Octavia Butler chapter which you should read even if you skip or DNF the rest of the book, especially if you’ve ever read Parable Of The Sower, because Salty blew my mind in its interpretation of what that book was doing).
rodiemom's review
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
2.5
The idea for this book is so good, but the execution falls flat. The chapters on Edna Lewis and Maya Angelou are mostly excellent, but in so many other chapters, it feels like the author picked someone she liked, but when she didn’t have a lot to say about them, she did a “book report” of sorts on their work instead of being happy with a shorter chapter just on their lives. It was so disappointing to read.
randisworld's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I do think though that the marketing for the focus to be food just didn’t work because not all the women included were foodies. But Alissa does her best to string them in. The concept didn’t work all the way through but her biographies of each woman was fantastic. Loved that she gave resources to check out. Lots of reviews criticized the execution but I really did enjoy it even though it was a little disjointed. Love her writing.