In "Kitchens of The Great Midwest" J. Ryan Stradel takes the small town and twin-cities narrative style of Garrison Keillor and pairs it seamlessly with the sinewy tang of an almost Laura Esquivel-style mythos.
The entire book is set (appropriately) in courses. Each course left me wanting more than the writer was willing to give. A warning--the book is rife with triggers for readers with multiple types of familial trauma. As for me, I spent time laughing, crying, and turning red with sympathetic frustration. There are very few two-dimensional characters in this culinary anthology of small (yet tall) tales.
Bravo, Potsdam Library "After Work" Book Club. Excellent choice! I won't be able to make it tomorrow until late in the meeting, but I can't wait to hear the reactions of other readers.
