Received: Ebook format
Book: A Table by the window
Author: Hillary Manton Lodge
Pages:322
Price: $10.00-34.02 through Amazon.ca
Reviewed for: Edelweiss books (random house)
My Review
I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and as I read it I thought, wow.. wish I had a hard copy of it so I could loan it to my mother. She'd like it as well.
It's a gently told story, focusing in on Jules, daughter in a family that cooks as a matter of making a living, and of being alive. Jules is a food critic and wanna be restauranteur.
Jules is the youngest in a family of five and is used to plugging into help wherever she is needed, whether that be a food critic for the local paper, or doing demonstrations on TV, or helping a brother get a restaurant started.
One day at dinner she realizes that she's tired of being alone and goes to an on-line dating site where she meets Neil. Neil and Jules quickly connect despite distance that separates. Jules grandmother dies living her the prep table from her kitchen. Nico wants to start a new restaurant and Jules happily helps, she takes in her grandmothers dog Gigi. She learns about her mothers illness. She is just a happily involved single lady learning who she is and what she wants. The intrigue comes in from finding a picture in her grandmothers cookbook who reminds her of her brother Nico, and this sets Jules off on a quest to discover who this man is. This quest culminates in a trip to France. Through it all Jules comes to a better understanding of who she is and what she wants.
Well-written. Characters are alive and well-written, I feel like i could sit down and just start chatting (in English, not French or Italian) with most any of them.
Each chapter starts with a quote and ends with a recipe.
The book finishes with discussion questions.
I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with how the book ended. I really wanted her to meet the family of the man in the picture. But it was not to be. But at least we learned who he was and why he was important to grandmother. Overall though, it was a book well worth reading. Filled with good food, conversation, laughter and moments of sadness, I would have no problems reading more about this family or even more books by this author.
A good read, check it out for yourself if you get a chance. :)