A review by kacy_elise
Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking by Bill Buford

4.0

Immersive settings are one of the things I look for good fiction writing. Almost all of my favorites have a setting to get lost in. Recently I’ve seen the power that non fiction, specifically memoir, can have to bring about this same effect.⁣
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If jetting off to France with your family to explore history, train as a chef, and eat some of the most delicious food in the world sounds like a great escape, Dirt by Bill Buford might be a great book for you!⁣
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What I Loved:⁣
▪️Behind the scenes look at restaurant life, the good and the bad (think several Hell’s Kitchen moments)⁣
▪️The author’s honesty about his struggles and failures on this journey to becoming a Chef⁣
▪️DELICIOUS food writing that had me dying to visit France⁣
▪️A realistic look at the challenges when moving abroad and returning home⁣
▪️Humor and levity in high stress moments⁣
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You Should Know:⁣
▪️Parts of this memoir are rather dense and moments of historical interludes could be somewhat dry to some readers.⁣
▪️The author himself reads the audio version. While I read a physical copy, I’ve heard many readers enjoy listening to his narration.⁣