A review by kaitlyncookies
The Measure of My Powers: A Memoir of Food, Misery, and Paris by Jackie Kai Ellis

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

4.0

This memoir would be a good fit for people who love cooking & baking, although the first half of the book largely focuses on Ellis’ strained relationship with her husband, and her experience of depression. Anyone who has ever felt lost or tried to find their “purpose” will likely relate to Ellis’s experiences. 
 
The most interesting part of the book for me was the last 10 pages, where she describes what it was actually like to run her very successful bakery in the early days. Those pages were the most honest depiction of what it’s like to start a business I’ve ever read. I wish more of the book were about that, but the bakery’s opening is basically what this memoir builds up to, as it documents how Ellis tried to steer her life toward something more joyful & fulfilling. The style of the memoir may not be for everyone, as it is somewhat loose in structure and jumps around in time. Still, the photos, recipes, and colourful pages establish the book as an atypical yet memorable memoir. 
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