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

5.0

I devoured this book. This was a nostalgic journey through the privileged India of the early twentieth century. I got so engrossed, it was as if I had metamorphosed into the young girl who ran around orchids and kitchens and large rooms, ever inquisitive and all-absorbing. This book has rich descriptions of the food, heritage, lifestyle and architecture of the older India. One amusing thing is that, so far I was under the impression that Madhur Jaffrey is a famous Indian male chef and I was shocked to see the young girl in the various photographs and it was news to me that she had dabbled with the Indian theatre before diverting to cookery and cookbooks. Even now I dont know much about Madhur Jaffrey as the book abruptly ended at her early adulthood. I am eager to know of her further journey. I am planning to Google and find out more about her and I fervently wish she wrote more books (other than cookery books). This book will have a prominent place in my to-read-again shelf.