Book Summary and Reviews of Feast by Catherine Kurtz

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Peggy_H

When Is a Gift Not a Gift?
The story of "Feast" centers around a mixed-race girl, the daughter of a prostitute, who has an amazing sense of smell: she can identify every ingredient, down to its origin in food. She is alone in the world after the death of her beloved grandfather, and sets out to find her place in France.

She becomes a poison taster for an oblivious duke, and a natural enemy of the manor chef. Her naivity and isolation create other problems. The author makes you root for the heroine, but shake your first at some of her decisions.

This is overall a book of the life of an "other" in an unforgiving time. It is easy to glean parallels to current day.

Elizabeth V. (Bellbrook, OH)

Beautiful writing
A really lovely book. The writing is exquisite - very detailed and descriptive which really lends itself to a story centered on scent and taste. For me, the storyline about everything Minha endured to reach her happy ending was secondary to the beautiful descriptions of the scenery and the food. It was very easy to get lost in the language of the story.

Sherrie_Y

Enchanting story of a girl coming into her own
4.5 stars

This book completely enchanted me. It was very much like reading a fairy tale, and while at times, I worried that Minha would never get a happy ending, I am happy to report that we do end the book on a hopeful note. Minha dealt with so many struggles throughout her story. We meet her at her birth and travel with her through dual timelines. We learn the story of how she grew up and how she ended up at a gorgeous chateau in France as a poison-taster for royalty. She encounters racism, bullying, and hatred, among other difficulties. Be aware that this book contains some fairly dark themes. However, they are never too graphic, which I appreciated in this unique novel.

The most vivid aspect of this novel was the food writing. Don't read this when you're hungry! I don't believe I have ever read a book like this, and I am excited to read this author again.

Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Book Browse for the advanced e-copy.

Charla_W

Taste and Smell Superstar
Minha was born with the ability to taste and smell deeply, so deeply in fact, that she can taste where a food has been grown. Her sense of smell is so powerful that she can smell all of the ingredients in a dish. And the very thing that she is so good at becomes the thing that turns her life upside down.

Her father was a sailor and left Minha and her mother shortly after Minha was born. Her mother eventually took Minha to her grandparents home and left her there. Minha grew very close to her grandfather who was the only person in her life that really loved her. Her grandmother never seemed to care much for the girl. So, after her grandfather died Minha left as a stowaway on a boat heading for France.

Once in France she went to work helping Duc Nicolas' family prepare for a party. Her powerful sense of smell detected poison in a duck prepared for the Duc. She saved the Duc from death and he hired her as a poison taster. She was grateful for the job but there were others in the Duc's household that resented her. Then she met a poor starving man living near the stables and nursed him back to health by bringing him food from the Duc's household.

It seems Minha was always helping others, but no one ever seemed to care about her. The very people she helped were the ones that treated her the worst. Just when she starts believing she has finally found her place in the world, she is brutally abused and betrayed.

Mary Jane D. (Arlington Heights, IL)

A Delicious Feast
Feast is a very well written tale of a young lady who has an incredible sense of taste. After an interesting childhood, her special talent lands her a job as a taste tester for a French duke. The story has many twists and turns that kept my interest. I was eager to find out what the next plot twist would reveal.

The characters are well developed and believable and there are rich descriptions of the settings. The author has a special talent in describing foods.

I would recommend the book to those interested in French chateau life and food dishes. The main character would appeal to those who like strong women characters.

Feast is an easy read that I didn't want to put down. I was constantly motivated to see what would happen next. It's one of the best books I've read lately.

Kathryn_H

A Gifted Young Woman With Many Trials
"Feast" is the story of a very resilient 19th-century girl who grows up to be a very resilient young woman. Minha has a special gift: she has a remarkable sense of smell and can identify a seemingly endless number of things.

Unwanted by her mother, and deserted by her father, Minha grew up in her grandparents' home. Her grandfather's loving care and attention changed the trajectory of her life.

Reading "Feast" was like reading a fairy tale. Minha's gift seemed magical, although I don't think it was meant to be so. The story was, in turns, charming, tragic, exasperating, and lovely.

I read it quickly because it was so hard to put down. The story was so unusual that I had no idea what would happen next.

Thank you to BookBrowse for the advance reader copy.

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