Visitor Login
Book Review
|
KITCHEN CHINESE
Genre: Mainstream, General Mainstream Fiction
This splendid debut is about food, family, finding yourself and fabulous fun in a foreign land. Readers are transported
to Beijing and introduced to the culture, social life and culinary delights by Isabelle, a refreshing, at times bewildered guide, who is experiencing it all for the first time. Ultimately, it's about the adventures life offers, and this one is certainly a warm and humorous one. After her magazine career abruptly ends, Isabelle Lee decides to leave New York, reconnect with her ancestral roots and get reacquainted with her sister Claire -- in China. Her new life gets off to a rocky start. She experiences major culture shock and, as her familiarity with the language is limited to "kitchen Chinese," her work options are almost nonexistent. Then she lands a job as a food critic for a magazine serving the expatriate community and finds a welcoming group of new friends. As she discovers her place in the hectic, vibrant city that is Beijing, Isabelle knows she's right where she's supposed to be. (AVON A, Feb., 368 pp., $13.99) Reviewed By: Sandra Garcia-Myers Publisher: AVON A Published: February 2010 |
RT Rating
