A Book to Sink Your Teeth Into

Happy Holidays!

There are so many fantastic things about winter break: hot chocolate, celebrating (or eating Asian food on) Christmas, and just relaxing with family. But one of the best things about it for me is the opportunity to curl up with a good book. I have always been a voracious reader, but during high school, it’s been exceedingly difficult to find time to read for fun. I’d like to share with you one of the delightful books that I read over break: Tender at the Bone, by Ruth Reichl.

Tender at the Bone is a memoir chronicling the experiences of Ms. Reichl’s life that ultimately lead her to her ideal career as an acclaimed restaurant critic. For someone whose life is dedicated to writing about food, she definitely knows how to write a good story. The novel is heartwarming and stomach-grumbling, dotted with anecdotes, recipes and exquisite food descriptions. Yet its literary merit should not be unsung; Reichl’s tone and techniques are very effective and should be valued.

Reichl focuses on specific stories from her life that are intertwined with the common theme of food. She narrates in a very conversational, personal voice. Her honesty, humor, and recounting of events that are so ridiculous they must be true (ex. trying to save dinner guests from her mother’s potentially poisonous meals; flying to North Africa on a whim; living communally in California) made me unable to put the book down.

My favorite part is when Reichl goes to her first job as a critic. She’s unsure, but as soon as she begins the meal, she’s surrounded by a crowd of ghosts from her past: a critical waitress she worked with, a kindly restaurant owner, a friend’s French father who introduced her to fine cuisine. She explains, “With this chorus of voices the review practically wrote itself.” I love this part of the novel because it brings all of her prior experiences together in one spectacular moment.

Reichl ‘s life was a unstructured, winding path until that moment. This gives me so much hope because I am quite uncertain about my future. I especially saw myself in Ms. Reichl during her more turbulent teen years, when she was disenchanted with her parents and had no idea where she’d end up. This book has shown me that it’s okay to be uncertain in life, as long as you enjoy the wonderful people, places, and food that you encounter along the way. If you want a good read, this will definitely satisfy your appetite.