The Kitchen Daughter
It took me a few chapters before I started enjoying this book about a young woman whose parents recently died. I felt manic reading the heroine's behaviour (Asperger's Syndrome) in the beginning but I finally realized this was how the character felt all the time. The parts with ghosts and magic realism were wonderful but they did not continue through the book which I would have wanted - because the mystery, to me, was never answered. Despite the quirks, the writer has a wonderful sense of humor and the ending was touching.
Rated of 5
by Gail B. (Albuquerque, NM)
Opportunity to learn
Being completely ignorant of Asperger's syndrome, I stepped into Jael McHenry's book totally unaware. As the characters unfolded and my understanding developed, I was pleased to learn about this family and then discover how many famous people, from Beethoven to Bob Dylan, probably have been victims of it. Books with recipes have always been fun and especially since food is such a key element, really added to the texture of the story. Thanks for the opportunity to learn.
Rated of 5
by Shyamoli D. (Voorhees, NJ)
The Kitchen Daughter
Kitchen Daughter is a beautifully written novel that deals with family drama, magic and delicious, mouth-watering recipes. The character of Ginny is well created. On one hand she is suffering from the loss of her parents and on the other she is trying to prove to her sister Amanda, that she is a ‘normal’ person. She finds peace through cooking but she also brings spirits in the kitchen which lightens the plot a bit. The use of recipes in the book especially in the beginning of each chapter is endearing. I also enjoyed the similes used by the author like Amanda’s voice as smooth as ‘orange juice’ and ‘his tongue like a ripe slice of mango…’ I will recommend this book to discussion groups because there are so many issues to talk about. The only part I thought that the author should have put more thought into was in the end of the book when Ginny finally talks to Amanda. I enjoyed the novel thoroughly.
Rated of 5
by Sandy B. (Dewitt, NY)
A Sweet And Appealing Story
The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry is a sweet and appealing story about family ties and an unlikely heroine. Ginny Selvaggio is young woman with Asperger’s Syndrome who suddenly loses both of her parents in a freak accident. Ginny has lived with her parents all her life and her older sister, Amanda, feels that Ginny will not be able to live alone – she is making assumptions about her based on her “disability” and not on her abilities. While Amanda was living her own life, Ginny has learned to handle her differences that others might think of as abnormal. Cooking is Ginny's passion and she uses the steps involved in preparing a recipe to calm her anxieties. Ginny has two special friends who believe in her as well as support from people who were close to her who have died (there’s a bit of magic in the story)! Ginny has an unusual way of dealing with the death of her parents but in the end she makes some startling discoveries about her father and about her own capability to handle this crisis. As a school social worker who has worked with children with disabilities, I found the character of Ginny to be a very accurate depiction of a person with Asperger's Syndrome. I think this story can teach us all something about our assumptions about people who are different than we are.
Rated of 5
by Denise S. (Oakland, CA)
A Sweet Tale
The Kitchen Daughter is a sweet, if uneven, tale of family, love, loss and self-discovery. While the story was strong narratively, I thought the inclusion of the supernatural aspects (ghosts) and the recipes were a distraction. They gave the book a frivolity that was unnecessary. This was a moving tale of a woman with Asperger’s maneuvering her way through life after the death of her parents. Why lessen that with recipes? The story of the two sisters finding common ground was lovely. All in all a good read…just not a great one.
Rated of 5
by Sheryl R. (DeQuincy, LA)
Interesting, but . . . .
This book, about an adult woman with Asperger's syndrome tries to answer the question, "Just what IS "normal" ? From reading the summary on the website, I expected the story to compel me. While I enjoyed the story and the themes, it was never a "can't put it down" kind of book for me. Well-written and insightful though it was, in the end, it seemed predictable, unfinished, and, well, . . "normal"!
Rated of 5
by Christine E. (Royal Oak, MI)
A good book for Foodies
I do not consider myself a "Foodie", one who is consumed with thoughts of food, so at first I was not enjoying the book. But the more I read the more I enjoyed it. The main character, Ginny, is a Foodie, It is a manifestation of her Asperger's Syndrome. The book is full of recipes and cooking. Has I got further into the book the storyline became more about family friendships, and the notion about what is normal. So by the time the book was finished I wished that it was longer.
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of 5
by Linda S. (Burlingame, CA)
of 5
by Denise S. (Oakland, CA)
