Literary Quote of the Month

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies," said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

Monday, January 31, 2011

Memoir Monday... Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

I love "food" memoirs; memoirs that give us a little behind the scene look at the restaurant business, as in Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphire: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise or Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. So I was excited to receive in the mail recently an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton from Random House. Here's what the publishers have to say...

If you were to take the heartfelt food memories of Ruth Reichl’s Tender at the Bone, mix them with the complex family relationships of Augusten Burroughs’s Running with Scissors, throw in a little of the behind-the-scenes revelations of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, then strip the mixture down to its grittiest core, you’d get a sense of Gabrielle Hamilton’s new memoir BLOOD, BONES, AND BUTTER.

Before Hamilton opened her acclaimed New York City restaurant, Prune, she spent twenty fierce, hard-living years trying to find the purpose and meaning in her life. BLOOD, BONES, AND BUTTER recounts this unconventional journey through the many kitchens Hamilton inhabited. The result is an unflinching and lyrical work that marks the debut of a tremendous literary talent.

Hamilton will appeal to both foodies and literary audiences alike as she deliciously divulges her experiences in love, life, and food. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, GQ, Bon Appétit, Saveur, and Food & Wine. She also authored the eight-week “The Chef” column in The New York Times, and her work was anthologized in six volumes of Best Food Writing.

Just leafing through the book, I found Gabrielle Hamilton's writing to be compelling; easy to get lost in; enjoyable. And I'm really looking forward to sinking my teeth into Blood, Bones & Butter! This is the next course on my plate! Next month look for my full review...

4 comments:

Evi said...

Sounds delicious!!

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Evi!
Don't you just love looking behind the curtain?! Especially when it comes to the places we eat! Thanks for stopping by!

Evi said...

Yes I do. Love to eat and read about it. :) Have quite a few foodie books on my shelves.
Nice to follow a blog that keeps me up to date on what I might've missed otherwise.
So many books, so little time.

audreygeddes said...

Blood, Bones & Butter sounds very interesting. Thanks for the great review! Another good memoir out you might enjoy is called, Major Dream: From Immigrant Housemaid to Harvard Ph.D. by Jin Kyu Robertson Ph.D. Her story of overcoming domestic abuse and then joining the U.S. Army is encouraging and uplifting. She went on to earn her PhD at Harvard and is now an amazing motivational speaker in Korea. I found her story to be very inspiring and is perfect for those who want to pursue their dreams and passions.

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