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A review by mrszreads_23
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
5.0
[b:With the Fire on High|38739562|With the Fire on High|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537991887l/38739562._SY75_.jpg|60327032] [a:Elizabeth Acevedo|15253645|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1487602614p2/15253645.jpg]
With The Fire On High is officially taking a spot in my Top 5 reads of 2020! I absolutely LOVED this story. For me it was extra special because it's a Latinx story and I didn't know much before reading it but was so pleasantly surprised when I found out it takes place in my hometown of Philadelphia.
The story focuses on a young teen, Emoni, who became a mother while in high school. She lives in the Fairhill section of Philly along with her babygirl, Emma, and her Abuela. Her father Julio is frequently in and out of her life, like a revolving door, living in Puerto Rico and her mother passed away during childbirth. We all know high school can be some of the toughest years in a person's life but throw in a baby, a baby daddy, a potential new bf, all your hopes, dreams and doubts about where your life is heading, where you belong in the world and you're right there following Emoni's journey.
Emoni also knows her way around the kitchen and many tell her she has a gift and magical hands. Through her cooking she expresses her love for her family and mixes different flavors and taking a chance that the end result will be unforgettable. She wants to cook professionally for a living but struggles while figuring out how to make her dreams become a reality.
I related to Emoni's story in many ways as I planned on becoming a chef very early on. It was a dream of mine since grade school. But like Emoni my grades weren't great and culinary school in Philadelphia was very expensive. As I was finding myself and where I belonged in the world I realized my love for cooking should remain a hobby because if I made it a career, that love and passion I have for it, may have died and I wouldn't have wanted that.
WTFON made me a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo and she has become an auto buy author of mine now. This was such an easy read for me and one moment towards the end got me all in my feelings because Emoni's words touched my soul. "Although my food still doesn't give me any memories, it has always been looking back; it's infused with the people I come from. But it't also a way for me to look forward; to watch the recipes that from my roots transform, grow, and feed the hungriest places inside of me." If you have a strong sense of family, traditions, and culture, then I encourage you to make this your next read...there's even a few recipes you can try!
With The Fire On High is officially taking a spot in my Top 5 reads of 2020! I absolutely LOVED this story. For me it was extra special because it's a Latinx story and I didn't know much before reading it but was so pleasantly surprised when I found out it takes place in my hometown of Philadelphia.
The story focuses on a young teen, Emoni, who became a mother while in high school. She lives in the Fairhill section of Philly along with her babygirl, Emma, and her Abuela. Her father Julio is frequently in and out of her life, like a revolving door, living in Puerto Rico and her mother passed away during childbirth. We all know high school can be some of the toughest years in a person's life but throw in a baby, a baby daddy, a potential new bf, all your hopes, dreams and doubts about where your life is heading, where you belong in the world and you're right there following Emoni's journey.
Emoni also knows her way around the kitchen and many tell her she has a gift and magical hands. Through her cooking she expresses her love for her family and mixes different flavors and taking a chance that the end result will be unforgettable. She wants to cook professionally for a living but struggles while figuring out how to make her dreams become a reality.
I related to Emoni's story in many ways as I planned on becoming a chef very early on. It was a dream of mine since grade school. But like Emoni my grades weren't great and culinary school in Philadelphia was very expensive. As I was finding myself and where I belonged in the world I realized my love for cooking should remain a hobby because if I made it a career, that love and passion I have for it, may have died and I wouldn't have wanted that.
WTFON made me a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo and she has become an auto buy author of mine now. This was such an easy read for me and one moment towards the end got me all in my feelings because Emoni's words touched my soul. "Although my food still doesn't give me any memories, it has always been looking back; it's infused with the people I come from. But it't also a way for me to look forward; to watch the recipes that from my roots transform, grow, and feed the hungriest places inside of me." If you have a strong sense of family, traditions, and culture, then I encourage you to make this your next read...there's even a few recipes you can try!