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There are currently 46 member reviews
for The Kitchen Daughter
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Maggie P. (Mount Airy, MD)
The Kitchen Daughter
A glance through the book had me dying to read it. After quickly finishing what I was currently reading, I picked up McHenry's book. I can't remember the last time I stayed up late (3:30am) to finish a book. I just could not put it down. I like the way Ginny found comfort in food. The relationship between Ginny and her sister was true to form. I was, however, saddened, that the parent's did not really prepare Ginny for life without them. It was gratifying to watch Ginny grow during the book. I would definitely recommend this book to others. It would be a great book for a bookclub as there are questions in the back of the book for readers.
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Deborah M. (Los Gatos, CA)
Cooking with Aspergers
A good insight into the mind of a girl with Aspergers Syndrome who is more capable than she or her sister realize. Sheltered by her loving parents, she learns self soothing methods revolving around food and cooking. Part cook , book part Asperger's guide, a fun and inspiring book that is hard to put down. Recommended to those who have family with Austism Spectrum Disorders.
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Jen W. (Denver, CO)
Perfect ingredients for a memorable story
The Kitchen Daughter is a delightful and satisfying read. Ginny is a very compelling character. Her struggle to cope in a sometimes confusing world make the book difficult to put down. Living inside Ginny's head, experiencing the world through Ginny's eyes was powerful. In this book, we don't read about what it's like to have Asperger's Syndrome through distant narrative; we see, feel and experience it as Ginny does. I found solace in Ginny's cooking as much as she did. This book and all the emotions it evoked will stay with me for a long time.
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Deborah C. (Orlando, Fla)
The Kitchen Daughter
With a different take on knowing your family, this book is smart, inventive and filled with a 'recipe' for viewing the world from a different perspective: Asperger's syndrome sufferer. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the writing and the ending. Book clubs would find a feast of discussion material. The main character evolves just enough and the plot is interesting; keeping me curious about what comes next. A wonderful read.
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Darlene C. (Simpsonville, SC)
The Kitchen Daughter
Awesome! It arrived on Saturday, finished it on Tuesday...sneaking a read every chance I had. Loved the use of food as part of social relationships; hated (but true) the need to define what is "normal" and apply "labels" to people. For all ages, and found it to be a "unique" read.(Recipes included as well as discussion questions.)
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Rebecca C. (Opelika, AL)
Great insight.
I read this creative and insightful book in one sitting, I just didn't want to put it down. The point of view on what is normal was so unusual and especially poignant for me. Ginny finds her strength in her ability to accept her normal, which we all need to do more of. I recommend everyone who has ever felt different or left out read this one right away!
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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.
