A review by abbythompson
Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey

3.0

I really enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the food and spices were so visceral. However, I was left wanting much much more from this so very capable author. Jaffrey can definitely write and write well, though there were moments of frustration when she would gloss over events that she had been hinting at for the last 100 pages. The prime example is her uncle Shibudada (if I remember the name correctly) and the rift that eventually happened between the uncle and his family and Jaffrey's family. When she finally spoke of it in the last 5 pages, it was a passing mention. One sentence. Hardly worth the 100 pages of foreshadowing beforehand. Also, the ending was very abrupt and confusing. Jaffrey spent so much time talking about the food and using food as the springboard for her memories, and yet the novel closes with her leaving for drama school. I wanted to know how she discovered cooking and cookbook writing, I honestly could give a hoot about her acting career. In the end, though, the descriptions of the food and her life in India make this a worthwhile read.