A review by valeriebrett
Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Anya von Bremzen

4.0

If someone is looking for a memoir, or a book about food, I actually wouldn't recommend this. If someone is interested in history, I absolutely would. This is a very smart book (almost more of a memoir of her whole family, not just her) and it took more brain power/engagement than most memoirs I've read, simply due to the amount of historical information provided and referenced. It reminded me almost of a Sarah Vowell book. I learned a lot about history and specifically the Soviet Union. There honestly wasn't that much about food in this book; of course, there was more than if the author wasn't a food writer, but this book being a memoir about food isn't exactly true. As in, there are large swaths of the book where food isn't mentioned at all. Which I suppose is necessary, but I'm giving it 4/5 stars because of this disparate organization. The beginning of the book sets it up as if the author and her mother are going to cook and host a dinner for each decade of the Soviet Union's history, but then that only actually happens once or twice. Overall, smart person, good writing, extremely interesting life story. I learned only a little about the food, which is why I picked this book up in the first place, but I learned so much more about lives and struggles and history.