What do readers think of Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q Sutanto? Write your own review.

This book was absolutely delightful. I had the good fortune of receiving a paperback copy of Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block to discuss in the BookBrowse Community online book club.

From the first page when Mebel imagines that unlikely ways to die- like checking for sharks in a swimming pool. Mebel Tanadi, a Chinese Indonesian trophy wife of 40 years is blind sided when her husband Henk decides to leave her for the very young Wendy, their cook.

Since Mebel’s entire identity is wrapped up in her luxurious lifestyle, so I’ll live and collection of Hermes handbags, she decides to win back Henk by going to cooking school in Paris, near the Dior shop. Unwittingly, Mebel has actually registered at the sister school in a small town outside Oxford. Mebel’s trajectory and coming of age at a time when many of us retire is so much fun.

For fans of Kevin Kwan, this is a must read.

Actually, after reading the title of the book, I was curious about the story. After reading it, I felt a little confused and also really admired Ms. Mebel. How could a long marriage make her husband turn away? But I really like Ms. Mebel's character, she is trying to develop herself at a not so young age. For the sake of her husband who must return to her, she loves her husband so much. He doesn't give up, instead he wants to make himself even cooler, I really like that character. I recommended this book to one of my friends.

You are leaving me for our chef? She isn't even twenty-five.

That is what Mebel was dealing with at age sixty-three, but she will get through it.

Her son was going to help by moving in with her, but that wasn't enough.

Mebel knew what to do to make her husband realize he made a mistake. She would enroll in a cooking school and win him back.

Could she do it? She never cooked a meal in her life.

And…will she get her husband back or is she enjoying her life at the school with the young cooking students?

Then...the student who is paired with her for a cooking contest disappears. What happens now?

This is a very enjoyable read, and Mebel makes it so.

Don't miss this read - you will love Mebel, feel sorry for her, and be laughing out loud too. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher

When I started this book, I thought it would be just fluff. Was I surprised! Trophy Wife Mebel found her voice. She discovered she could do more than run her husband's household, entertain his friends, and be the "perfect" wife. I was so proud of her when she didn't go back to her husband after the woman he left her for ditched him. I wanted to cheer. She discovered she was worth much more than being a "trophy" wife.

Such an entertaining read. Mebel learns her husband of 40 plus years is leaving her for their private chef. With her can-do attitude, and her general approach to life that says she can do anything that money can buy, she decides to learn to cook as well as the private chef, so that her husband will come back to her. This self-proclaimed "Chinese-Indonesian princess" is focused on only the finer things in life – Berkin bags, Louboutin shoes, Hermes suits – with little emotional attachment to family and friends. As the story unfolds, however, and she experiences numerous mishaps at the not-in-Paris cooking school in which she enrolls, and with individuals she meets along the way, she reinvents herself, developing into a sympathetic woman with emotional attachments and a better understanding of herself and her place in her new world. Mebel becomes the type of person the reader can admire. The description of her journey is fast-paced, colorful and engaging (and she learns to cook!).

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. This was a surprisingly refreshing look at later-in-life reinvention. It felt much deeper than the cover and the blurb suggested. I wondered at first Mebel might come off as a caricature of a bored housewife, but she shows depth and emotional growth. She went from focusing on how to get her husband back to figuring out what she really wants.

I appreciated the supporting cast too as they seemed like real people. And I enjoyed the cozy mystery too.

This was a nice palate-cleanser after reading some heavier, darker books.

A large spoonful of self-discovery plus a dash of spicy revenge served up in this delightful cozy fiction book. “Ms Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block” is a quick and entertaining read chock-full of snort-worthy laughs and heartwarming moments. A story of 63 years old Mebel’s journey as she redefines her life and realizes what is more important than a Birkin bag.

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block was a laugh out loud read for me. I literally had to stifle giggles while reading it in public. The novel follows a privileged older woman who discovers that her husband of forty years is leaving her for their much younger private chef. Determined to win him back, Mebel decides the only solution is to become a chef herself.

Naturally, YouTube tutorials won’t do, she must attend the very best culinary school in Paris. Except she doesn’t. Upon arrival, she discovers she has accidentally enrolled in sister school in England instead. Within her first few hours in England, her bags are stolen, her room turns out to be tiny, and she quickly learns that she must do everything on her own.

At its heart, this is a novel about self discovery. Through hilarious culture clashes with her fellow students and the challenges of starting over, Mebel learns she is capable of far more than just being a trophy wife. Her journey is both funny and unexpectedly empowering. I can't wait to read more by this author.