Author: Erica Bauermeister
Title: The Lost Art Of Mixing
Publisher: Putnam
Publish Date: Jan 24, 2013
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours & the publisher
Book Blurb:Lillian and her restaurant have a way of drawing people together. There’s Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers and ritual; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn’t learned to trust after heartbreak; Finnegan, quiet and steady as a tree, who can disappear into the background despite his massive height; Louise, Al’s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp. And there’s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn’t expect. . . .
Their lives collide and mix with those around them, sometimes joining in effortless connections, at other times sifting together and separating again, creating a family that is chosen, not given. A beautifully imagined novel about the ties that bind—and links that break—The Lost Art of Mixing is a captivating meditation on the power of love, food, and companionship.
Review: There are some books that you rush through even though you love them and then there some books that you meander through slowly, savoring each word. This is one of the books that you savor.
At first I thought the book was slow, but I came to realize soon that I was wrong.
It felt slow because you were really getting to know all the characters whose lives are connected in this story, and there's quite a cast of characters here; Louise, Al, Lillian, Tom, Chloe, Finnegan and Isabelle. Those are just the characters you really feel attached to.
You also get to know Isabelle's family, Anna, Rory and Lucy and her grandson Rory.
You have varying feelings about each of them.
Isabelle inspires love. She's the elderly lady with Alzheimer's whose condition is slowly deteriorate. Chloe lives with her.
Anna, is Isabelle's daughter she is just horrible. She's a doctor who really can't be bother to care for her mother, she just seems like she wants to put her away somewhere and forget about her. The other characters do more of the "caring" when it comes to Isabelle. They also do more of the loving.
What I truly loved was how visual the book was, from the way food is described either with Chloe or Lillian cooking or Lillian buying it at the market. Sometimes the descriptions were so vivid you could almost smell the dishes that they were creating.
Another vivid part of the book is Isabelle's celebration. It is so easy to see everyone hoisting her in her chair and carrying her through the streets to bring her closer to God.
This is a wonderful leisurely read.
Rating: 5 flowers
Review: There are some books that you rush through even though you love them and then there some books that you meander through slowly, savoring each word. This is one of the books that you savor.
At first I thought the book was slow, but I came to realize soon that I was wrong.
It felt slow because you were really getting to know all the characters whose lives are connected in this story, and there's quite a cast of characters here; Louise, Al, Lillian, Tom, Chloe, Finnegan and Isabelle. Those are just the characters you really feel attached to.
You also get to know Isabelle's family, Anna, Rory and Lucy and her grandson Rory.
You have varying feelings about each of them.
Isabelle inspires love. She's the elderly lady with Alzheimer's whose condition is slowly deteriorate. Chloe lives with her.
Anna, is Isabelle's daughter she is just horrible. She's a doctor who really can't be bother to care for her mother, she just seems like she wants to put her away somewhere and forget about her. The other characters do more of the "caring" when it comes to Isabelle. They also do more of the loving.
What I truly loved was how visual the book was, from the way food is described either with Chloe or Lillian cooking or Lillian buying it at the market. Sometimes the descriptions were so vivid you could almost smell the dishes that they were creating.
Another vivid part of the book is Isabelle's celebration. It is so easy to see everyone hoisting her in her chair and carrying her through the streets to bring her closer to God.
This is a wonderful leisurely read.
Rating: 5 flowers
1 comments:
Your description of this book makes me think of a path wandering through the woods - it isn't something you can rush, you just take it as it comes. Lovely!
Thanks for being on tour!
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