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dianacsanchezz_ 's review for:
Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir
by Padma Lakshmi
For my Advanced Reporting class on Food and Culture, we read four profiles on Padma Lakshmi. I was attracted to just her cool attitude and wanted to know more of her story from her own words, they all mentioned her memoir so I thought I’d give it a go.
I don’t know if it was because I’d read so much about her by the time I came to her book, but I’ll admit I was a bit desperate to finish by the end.
Nevertheless, I do think Padma is a very skilled writer, especially great when it comes to food. I admired her raw vulnerability — she doesn’t hesitate to say how felt at any given moment in time. She lays out her side of the story with pure honesty, while still showing immense respect for anyone involved. She also doesn’t shy away from her personal mistakes and shortcomings. I think her writing was strongest towards the end when alluding to Teddy, her daughter, and of course, all throughout with food.
Still, I did find the structure of the book odd. Throughout the first half of the book she goes back and forth in time narrating her life. I think it was somewhat confusing at times, she’d go in really long reminiscing tangents that I would just forget what she was initially talking about…. I also don’t think I agree with her decision to open the book explaining her marriage and divorce to
Salman Rushdie. I can see why she would want to get that out of the way, but I think it took away from her story in the end.
Regardless, Padma is so courageous in telling her story in such a vulnerable way. After I finished reading, I scrolled through the reviews under it and was absolutely stunned by how many people responded with so many comments loaded with misogyny… What’s so wrong about a woman being ambitious???
I don’t know if it was because I’d read so much about her by the time I came to her book, but I’ll admit I was a bit desperate to finish by the end.
Nevertheless, I do think Padma is a very skilled writer, especially great when it comes to food. I admired her raw vulnerability — she doesn’t hesitate to say how felt at any given moment in time. She lays out her side of the story with pure honesty, while still showing immense respect for anyone involved. She also doesn’t shy away from her personal mistakes and shortcomings. I think her writing was strongest towards the end when alluding to Teddy, her daughter, and of course, all throughout with food.
Still, I did find the structure of the book odd. Throughout the first half of the book she goes back and forth in time narrating her life. I think it was somewhat confusing at times, she’d go in really long reminiscing tangents that I would just forget what she was initially talking about…. I also don’t think I agree with her decision to open the book explaining her marriage and divorce to
Salman Rushdie. I can see why she would want to get that out of the way, but I think it took away from her story in the end.
Regardless, Padma is so courageous in telling her story in such a vulnerable way. After I finished reading, I scrolled through the reviews under it and was absolutely stunned by how many people responded with so many comments loaded with misogyny… What’s so wrong about a woman being ambitious???