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A review by katiez624
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
5.0
I purchased this book at a used book store and did not realize the gem I had in my hands. I am of Chinese descent but grew up in the US. I still speak Chinese fluently, and I was able to get so much out of this book. I really wish that the fictional book mentioned was a real book because the excerpts were so well written. I was able to pick up on almost all of the pinyin references that the author made about Chinese food and customs, based on my own upbringing and growing up with Chinese food as my main means of sustenance.
The plot of the book (the protagonist traveling to China to find out the truth about her deceased husband) really took a backseat to the food in the book and the backstories of Sam's grandfather and uncles.
I do believe that a non-Chinese speaking person who was not familiar with authentic Chinese cuisine would not be able to get as much out of the book as I did, but it is still very educational and is able to articulate such nuances and subtleties of Chinese food that I always knew about but was never able to express to others.
The plot of the book (the protagonist traveling to China to find out the truth about her deceased husband) really took a backseat to the food in the book and the backstories of Sam's grandfather and uncles.
I do believe that a non-Chinese speaking person who was not familiar with authentic Chinese cuisine would not be able to get as much out of the book as I did, but it is still very educational and is able to articulate such nuances and subtleties of Chinese food that I always knew about but was never able to express to others.