Skip to main content

My Mother's Kitchen by Meera Ekkanath Klein (23)

My Mother's Kitchen is an enchanting place filled with promise, change and good food. If the weathered walls of this magical room could talk they would tell the story of Meena and her childhood life. Each chapter is a slice in her young life and depicts her spunk and youthful spirit. A visit to the local Fruit and Flower Show becomes an adventure as told by Meena. Her distress at finding out about her aunt's dark secret or her joy of making a new friend are all told in her naĂŻve, yet pure voice. Her mother is a central character in her life and it is no wonder that the kitchen is a special place of healing and rejuvenation, not only for Meena but for other characters like Kashi and Ayah.


  • Paperback: 266 pages
  • Publisher: Homebound Publications; Second Edition edition (November 17, 2014)
  • ISBN: 9781938846700

AMAZON US   |   AMAZON CA   |   AMAZON UK

AUTHOR BIO:
Award-winning author, Meera Ekkanath Klein, deftly weaves her love of cooking and story-telling into an irresistible tale. My Mother's Kitchen: A novel with recipes (2014, Homebound Publications) was selected as a Winner in the 2015 International Book Awards in the Multi-Cultural Fiction category. The book was also selected as Finalist in the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Awards and in 2015 Beverly Hills International Book Awards, both in the Multi-Cultural Fiction category. She was one of 40 authors at the celebrated 2015 Authors on the Move fundraiser for the Sacramento Library Foundation dinner and auction. She was featured on Capital Public Radio on April 2, 2015 and interviewed by host Beth Ruyak. She has participated in the Local Author Festival at the Sacramento Library and will be a presenter at the Great Valley Book Fest in October. She will also make presentations at the Woodland Friends of the Library annual meeting in June and at the Greenhaven/Pocket area Library in July. A former newspaper reporter and columnist, Klein, honed her writing skills in a busy newsroom. She mastered the art of Indian cooking in her own mother's kitchen in the beautiful Blue Mountains or Nilgiris of south India. Klein currently lives in northern California and is completing a sequel to My Mother's Kitchen, as well as a YA book based on Indian legends and mythology.




A photo posted by Freda Mans (@fredasphotos) on

REVIEW:
I need more.
So richly deep in culture, one that I felt myself get submersed in, but taken so abruptly at the end that I'm left wondering what happens in America...
This book is a great story about a girl in India who gains much knowledge and wisdom while growing up with strong female presences. Enough so, it may actually bite said presences in the behind later on, but those conclusions you can draw for yourself. 
I like Meena. Modern girl or not. She wasn't asking for much, and maybe it's the modern girl in me, but I think they should've gave it to her.
The recipes in the book are Southern Indian Comfort food. I love it, and the smells when it is cooking is indescribably detectable. I made one dish, and can't wait to make more. This is going to be one well worn book before long with the recipes I have saved.
I suggest this book to any who enjoy learning about other cultures, people who love Indian cuisine, or just want a good coming-of-age story.

4/5


**No compensation was received for posting. Compensation will be earned if purchases are made from the links within. A copy was provided to facilitate a review. Opinions are photos are owned by Freda's Voice.

Comments

  1. Hi Freda,
    Thank you for a nice review. Glad you enjoyed the book and recipes. A sequel is in the works and I will keep you posted.
    Best,
    Meera

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like a wonderful book. Thanks for linking up at Foodies Read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Heather. Please let me know how you like it! I like connecting with readers!

      Delete
  3. Great review! I think both Meena's story and all of the recipes sound interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like a good mix of themes. Love Indian food :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love cookbooks that tell a story and learning about other cultures through their food. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments are for Google Users Only due to spam comments. Thank you for taking the time to leave your opinions and comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Scooby Doo: The Sword And The Scoob

AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL NOW AND DVD MARCH 23! RATED F 72 minutes AMAZON An evil sorceress transports the gang back to the age chivalrous knights, spell-casting wizards, and fire-breathing dragons. While there, Shaggy unwittingly pulls out Excalibur from a nearby stone to cut a block of cheese and now no one is sure who the rightful ruler is. The legendary wizard, Merlin, appears and explains that the throne of Camelot must be determined through TRIAL BY COMBAT. Our heroes pull out all the stops to try and win the tournament, break the witch's hold on King Arthur, and find a way back to the present in this legendary story of Scooby Doo in King Arthur's Court. REVIEW: It was weird starting off with a He-Man lookalike, Thunder the Barabarian), until I realized a character from the film was watching the cartoon in the airplane. Still, it was kind of cool to reminice about two cartoons from my childhood. So many great actors bring the film to life! What a fun story it was too! Although

#19: Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .  Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. KINDLE:  448 KB Print Length:  400 pages Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends (January 3, 2012) ASIN:  B005KJJ4F8 AMAZON US   |   AMAZON CA AUTHOR BIO: Marissa Meyer was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, home of Almond Roca and Stadium High School, which was made famous when Heath

The #Friday56 & #Instagram56

Welcome to week 588! RULES: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your  ereader . If you have to improvise, that is okay. *Find a snippet, short and sweet. *Post it, and  add the url to your post in the Linky below . If you don't link up, we may not know to visit. Also join in the fun on Instagram using the hashtags #Instagram56 #Friday56   Happy  weekend to you all!  Check out this read on  Amazon . Read  my review .   Read my 56: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Freda Mans (@fredasphotos) Book Beginnings leave your links in the comments if you didn't join in the Friday 56. Q:    How many books do you buy per month? A: I honestly don't have a number. I rarely buy books, and when I do, it's a book I can't live without.  **This is a weekly book meme post. Compensation may be earned from the link within.