Scan barcode
A review by book_concierge
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
4.0
Maggie McElroy, a widowed American food writer, is still trying to overcome her grief at her husband’s death in a hit-and-run accident, when she is stunned by a call from his law firm’s satellite office in Beijing. There is a paternity claim against her husband’s estate, and Maggie needs to go to Beijing to convince the child’s mother to agree to a DNA test. Immersing herself in work is what has helped her deal with her grief, so she is distressed when she tells her editor she will need to be gone for several weeks. But her editor has just learned of an interesting story in Beijing that Maggie could cover. Sam Liang, a Chinese-American, has returned to Beijing to open a new restaurant, paying homage to the grand tradition of famous chefs of the imperial era. In fact, he is descended from the Last Chinese Chef who worked for the Dowager Empress.
Maggie is a woman consumed by grief, surviving in a bubble of memories that has just been shattered. Did she really know her husband? Did he really love her? How could he have fathered this child, AND kept it a secret from her? Dealing with such a claim would be difficult and trying enough in America. But now she finds herself in a city where she does not understand the language, culture or customs, and must rely on strangers to help her. Her planned article on Sam Liang is the only area where she can feel somewhat normal as a journalist, researching her subject and crafting the written portrait. They are both surprised to find in one another an ally and friend, and they nurture one another with food, with understanding, with encouragement and with hope.
Mones deftly combines Sam’s story with Maggie’s, and with the tradition and history of Chinese cuisine, philosophy, culture and dining. The descriptions of the menus and dishes are nothing short of delicious – a sensory feast of tastes, sounds, smells, textures, and visual images. Just as much attention is paid to developing these characters; Mones reveals them a little at a time allowing the reader to get to know them as they deal with various disappointments and unexpected joys. There were a few times when Mones switched narrators that momentarily confused me, but it didn’t take long to understand where she was going with these sections, and then appreciate how they contributed to developing the characters and story. Take your time reading it – savor every page.
Maggie is a woman consumed by grief, surviving in a bubble of memories that has just been shattered. Did she really know her husband? Did he really love her? How could he have fathered this child, AND kept it a secret from her? Dealing with such a claim would be difficult and trying enough in America. But now she finds herself in a city where she does not understand the language, culture or customs, and must rely on strangers to help her. Her planned article on Sam Liang is the only area where she can feel somewhat normal as a journalist, researching her subject and crafting the written portrait. They are both surprised to find in one another an ally and friend, and they nurture one another with food, with understanding, with encouragement and with hope.
Mones deftly combines Sam’s story with Maggie’s, and with the tradition and history of Chinese cuisine, philosophy, culture and dining. The descriptions of the menus and dishes are nothing short of delicious – a sensory feast of tastes, sounds, smells, textures, and visual images. Just as much attention is paid to developing these characters; Mones reveals them a little at a time allowing the reader to get to know them as they deal with various disappointments and unexpected joys. There were a few times when Mones switched narrators that momentarily confused me, but it didn’t take long to understand where she was going with these sections, and then appreciate how they contributed to developing the characters and story. Take your time reading it – savor every page.