Saturday, August 2, 2014

Review: The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee

The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee: After the ultimate betrayal by her husband, Portia Cuthcart flees her proper, wife of a politician life in Texas and takes up residence in the garden level of a NYC townhouse previously owned by and left to her by her aunt. Portia has many fond memories of summers spent there with her Aunt and hopes returning there will bring her some comfort. Practically, she is broke and the inherited townhouse gives her a place to live. Her sisters, also living in NY now, sold their floors of the inherited townhouse to financier Gabriel, who lives upstairs with his two young daughters. Portia's talent for cooking which is tinged with a bit of magic in that she has visions compelling her to cook dishes which turn out to be exactly what someone needs has her tending to the two young girls in no time. As she gets more involved with their family, and especially complicated Gabriel, Portia begins to question why she has tried to suppress her gift.

Portia grew up at the feet of her grandmother who owned a restaurant in Texas called the Glass Kitchen. Like Portia, her grandmother had the gift and could divine what a customer needed before they even understood that they wanted or needed it and why. This ability to provide comfort with food but on a level much deeper than satisfying a craving or physical hunger, kept the restaurant bustling. When her grandmother dies tragically, though, Portia blames the gift and immediately closes the restaurant and attempts to suppress her culinary instincts. By the time she arrives in NY, she is still trying to shut down those instincts but when she meets Gabriel's young daughters, Ariel and Miranda who are so in need of comfort after the recent death of their mother, it becomes more and more difficult to deny cooking what they need and Portia begins to value the unique gift she has to bring people comfort and healing.

My Thoughts
This book successfully brings many themes together - sisterhood, acknowledging and embracing who you are, and transformation achieved through healing. Sprinkle that with some romance and the foodie culture and you have a delightful book. Although I liked Portia as a character, my favorite character was Ariel. As a young girl with the weight of her mother's death on her shoulders, Ariel tries to cope with humor and a precocious way of seeing people for who they really are;  but she is still only a young girl and grappling with so many emotions. I found her funny but also touching and wanted to take of her myself.

I also enjoyed reading about the delicious meals whipped up by Portia. The descriptions were vivid and included all the senses. Beyond that, however, was the description of the experience which was always more of the focus than just the taste of the food or the nourishment it offered. For example:
For a meal to work truly, it must be an experience. From the moment a guest arrives in the Glass Kitchen to the moment they set their napkin down, they must be enchanted. More importantly, the giver of the food must believe that they have the power to enchant. No person, whether she is a scientist or a cook, can find success if she doesn't first believe that she has power in her hands-not to use over people but to use for the good of another. Food, especially, is about giving.
Who wouldn't want to eat a meal prepared by someone with a philosophy like this? The Glass Kitchen transports you into just such a meal many times over.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

14 comments:

  1. Oh now you're making me want to read this book! I need to dig it out of my stack. I agree that love, care, enthusiasm really make a difference in the kitchen

    ReplyDelete
  2. The cover alone makes me want to read this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've heard lots of good things about this book. Sounds sweet and uplifting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As a former NYC resident, I love to read stories based out and about there. It sounds like a fun read, and I've heard good buzz about it. Thanks for sharing--going on my wishlist.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This one's lurking on my pile of books that need reading and reviewing. I'm glad to hear it's as good as the jacket copy made it sound! The sound of it kind of reminds me of The School of Essential Ingredients, which is one of my favorites.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The cover of this book always catches my eye, glad to know the inside is just as delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds like a wonderful read! I believe cooking and healing and sharing culinary delights can be very healing for everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have this one in my TBR pile. I must move it to the top.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just saw this come in at the library, but I don't think I'm in the mood for the romance part of it! Because rich Gabriel upstairs is also devastatingly handsome, right? And great with his daughters? And doesn't even know how wonderful he is? I know, I know, don't give away any spoilers! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds tasty! Thanks for introducing me to an author new to me.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I want to read this one so much! Awesome review.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'd almost pick this one up just for the beautiful cover - glad it would be worth reading!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I can't find the review link-up for 2014 Immigrant Stories Challenge - my first review for the challenge is for Death at Daisy's Folly by Robin Paige:
    http://www.shelfari.com/books/1212113/Death-at-Daisys-Folly/reviews/4582071

    ReplyDelete