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The Last Suppers
“A gorgeous novel that finds beauty in the most unlikely of places.” —Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Set in 1950s Louisiana, Mandy Mikulencak’s beautifully written and emotionally moving novel evokes both The Help and Dead Man Walking with the story of an unforgettable woman whose quest to provide meals for death row prisoners leads her into the secrets of her own past.
Many children have grown up in the shadow of Louisiana’s Greenmount State Penitentiary. Most of them—sons and daughters of corrections officers and staff—left the place as soon as they could. Yet Ginny Polk chose to come back to work as a prison cook. She knows the harsh reality of life within those walls—the cries of men being beaten, the lines of shuffling inmates chained together. Yet she has never seen them as monsters, not even the ones sentenced to execution. That’s why, among her duties, Ginny has taken on a special responsibility: preparing their last meals.
Pot roast or red beans and rice, coconut cake with seven-minute frosting or pork neck stew . . . whatever the men ask for Ginny prepares, even meeting with their heartbroken relatives to get each recipe just right. It’s her way of honoring their humanity, showing some compassion in their final hours. The prison board frowns upon the ritual, as does Roscoe Simms, Greenmount’s Warden. Her daddy’s best friend before he was murdered, Roscoe has always watched out for Ginny, and their friendship has evolved into something deep and unexpected. But when Ginny stumbles upon information about the man executed for killing her father, it leads to a series of dark and painful revelations.
Truth, justice, mercy—none of these are as simple as Ginny once believed. And the most shocking crimes may not be the ones committed out of anger or greed, but the sacrifices we make for love.
Set in 1950s Louisiana, Mandy Mikulencak’s beautifully written and emotionally moving novel evokes both The Help and Dead Man Walking with the story of an unforgettable woman whose quest to provide meals for death row prisoners leads her into the secrets of her own past.
Many children have grown up in the shadow of Louisiana’s Greenmount State Penitentiary. Most of them—sons and daughters of corrections officers and staff—left the place as soon as they could. Yet Ginny Polk chose to come back to work as a prison cook. She knows the harsh reality of life within those walls—the cries of men being beaten, the lines of shuffling inmates chained together. Yet she has never seen them as monsters, not even the ones sentenced to execution. That’s why, among her duties, Ginny has taken on a special responsibility: preparing their last meals.
Pot roast or red beans and rice, coconut cake with seven-minute frosting or pork neck stew . . . whatever the men ask for Ginny prepares, even meeting with their heartbroken relatives to get each recipe just right. It’s her way of honoring their humanity, showing some compassion in their final hours. The prison board frowns upon the ritual, as does Roscoe Simms, Greenmount’s Warden. Her daddy’s best friend before he was murdered, Roscoe has always watched out for Ginny, and their friendship has evolved into something deep and unexpected. But when Ginny stumbles upon information about the man executed for killing her father, it leads to a series of dark and painful revelations.
Truth, justice, mercy—none of these are as simple as Ginny once believed. And the most shocking crimes may not be the ones committed out of anger or greed, but the sacrifices we make for love.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published December 26, 2017
341 people are currently reading
5585 people want to read
About the author
Mandy Mikulencak
3 books178 followersMandy Mikulencak has been a writer her entire working life. First, as a journalist, then as an editor and PR specialist for two national nonprofits and a United Nations agency. Today she lives in the mountains of Southwest Colorado with her husband. Her historical novel, THE LAST SUPPERS, was released by Kensington Publishing in late 2017. Her next book, FORGIVENESS ROAD, comes out in March 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
January 9, 2018
The Last Suppers is a 2017 Mandy Mikulencak Kensington publication.
A thought provoking, complex, and moving story-
Ginny works at Louisiana’s Greenmount State Penitentiary during the 1950’s as a prison cook. She has started a program for the death row inmates where she offers to cook them anything they desire for their ‘last meal.'
Ginny has a very complicated past which, once it is revealed, will explain her deep devotion to her job, which has wrought complications between her mother, Miriam, and her lover, Roscoe, who just so happens to be the prison warden.
Roscoe and Ginny try to keep their relationship a secret, along with Ginny’s offer to cook for the worst of the worst inmates, but the entire balancing act soon begins to topple over when shocking revelations come to light regarding the death of Ginny’s father, many years ago.
I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but this certainly wasn’t it. Wow. I confess I’m feeling a bit stunned by this novel.
The story has the potential to reach a broad audience because it is more than just historical fiction. It is also a family drama and a mystery, with a controversial love story, featuring the importance of food -the memories and comfort it can evoke- rounding things out.
The story touches on a myriad of topics, such as racial tensions, defying social norms, the death penalty, and compassion for the families of death row inmates, just to name a few.
Ginny’s psychological need to provide these meals harkens back to a hideous decision her mother made, and the deep impact it has on Ginny in her adult life, including her relationship with Roscoe.
This is a heartbreaking story that juxtapositions the best and worst of humanity, zeroing in on the blurred lines between prisoners and their families, who also suffer the intense pain of losing a loved one and the stigma they live with.
While it may seem that Ginny is offering cold-blooded murderers generosity he certainly does not deserve, I believe in her heart, it was just as much about offering a bit of comfort to the inmates’ family, as well as assuaging her own guilt.
But, at the heart of the story is the role food plays in our lives, under the best and the very worst of times. It’s not so much about feeding the body as it is about feeding the spirit, and offering solace for the soul.
In so many ways this book broke my heart, but it was also inspirational in a way, and shows the flip side the coin, allowing me to view things from an angle I have rarely considered.
Southern fiction is a favorite of mine, as is historical fiction, so these factors added the right atmosphere for such an original and beautifully written book.
As an added bonus, the author added a few of the recipes for the food mentioned in the book, which included some old southern dishes many people have probably never heard of. I make my own Chow Chow, by the way, but the recipe here was much more involved than anything I’ve ever attempted, which I found very interesting.
This story will stick with me for a long time to come. I recommend it to historical fiction fans, but I think it's a story that will resonate with anyone who appreciates good storytelling.
4.5 stars
A thought provoking, complex, and moving story-
Ginny works at Louisiana’s Greenmount State Penitentiary during the 1950’s as a prison cook. She has started a program for the death row inmates where she offers to cook them anything they desire for their ‘last meal.'
Ginny has a very complicated past which, once it is revealed, will explain her deep devotion to her job, which has wrought complications between her mother, Miriam, and her lover, Roscoe, who just so happens to be the prison warden.
Roscoe and Ginny try to keep their relationship a secret, along with Ginny’s offer to cook for the worst of the worst inmates, but the entire balancing act soon begins to topple over when shocking revelations come to light regarding the death of Ginny’s father, many years ago.
I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but this certainly wasn’t it. Wow. I confess I’m feeling a bit stunned by this novel.
The story has the potential to reach a broad audience because it is more than just historical fiction. It is also a family drama and a mystery, with a controversial love story, featuring the importance of food -the memories and comfort it can evoke- rounding things out.
The story touches on a myriad of topics, such as racial tensions, defying social norms, the death penalty, and compassion for the families of death row inmates, just to name a few.
Ginny’s psychological need to provide these meals harkens back to a hideous decision her mother made, and the deep impact it has on Ginny in her adult life, including her relationship with Roscoe.
This is a heartbreaking story that juxtapositions the best and worst of humanity, zeroing in on the blurred lines between prisoners and their families, who also suffer the intense pain of losing a loved one and the stigma they live with.
While it may seem that Ginny is offering cold-blooded murderers generosity he certainly does not deserve, I believe in her heart, it was just as much about offering a bit of comfort to the inmates’ family, as well as assuaging her own guilt.
But, at the heart of the story is the role food plays in our lives, under the best and the very worst of times. It’s not so much about feeding the body as it is about feeding the spirit, and offering solace for the soul.
In so many ways this book broke my heart, but it was also inspirational in a way, and shows the flip side the coin, allowing me to view things from an angle I have rarely considered.
Southern fiction is a favorite of mine, as is historical fiction, so these factors added the right atmosphere for such an original and beautifully written book.
As an added bonus, the author added a few of the recipes for the food mentioned in the book, which included some old southern dishes many people have probably never heard of. I make my own Chow Chow, by the way, but the recipe here was much more involved than anything I’ve ever attempted, which I found very interesting.
This story will stick with me for a long time to come. I recommend it to historical fiction fans, but I think it's a story that will resonate with anyone who appreciates good storytelling.
4.5 stars
January 1, 2018
3.5 Food for comfort, a particular food that brings back memories, a time when someone cared enough to make something that made us feel better. Food can have many different meanings, and for Ginny it is what she provides as a cook at the penitentiary, what she feels she needs to do by providing last suppers for the men on death row. Raised on the grounds of the prison, her father a guard, a horrifying memory from that time, has haunted Ginny. Now her last suppers will provide a doorway into her own past, exposing secrets thought buried. They will also be the cause of the undoing of the man she loves.
A very different subject for a novel, one filled of food and love, but also so much ugly, a past that wasn't what it seemed. Things never forgotten, and how this was the frame for where Ginny finds herself now. We watch as Ginny handles each new barrier, discovery. How she grows and changes in light of the unveiling of a past that rears its ugly head. We learn some of the stories of the men on death row, not just from what they request for their last meal, but also from journal entries.
So much of this novel revolves around food, as it does for many of us in our own lives. In the sisters group where we read this, we all stated what we would request as a last supper. Mine was meatloaf and mashed potatoes, my all time comfort food. So many memories attached to food, and so it was for the men in this novel. Recipes are provided at books end.
A finely written novel, one that is thought provoking. A very different take of a young woman, coming into her own, in light of some terrible occurrences, one I wish didn't have to happen, but couldn't see it going any other way either. A good ending, a very realistic one, I think.
ARC from Netgalley.
A very different subject for a novel, one filled of food and love, but also so much ugly, a past that wasn't what it seemed. Things never forgotten, and how this was the frame for where Ginny finds herself now. We watch as Ginny handles each new barrier, discovery. How she grows and changes in light of the unveiling of a past that rears its ugly head. We learn some of the stories of the men on death row, not just from what they request for their last meal, but also from journal entries.
So much of this novel revolves around food, as it does for many of us in our own lives. In the sisters group where we read this, we all stated what we would request as a last supper. Mine was meatloaf and mashed potatoes, my all time comfort food. So many memories attached to food, and so it was for the men in this novel. Recipes are provided at books end.
A finely written novel, one that is thought provoking. A very different take of a young woman, coming into her own, in light of some terrible occurrences, one I wish didn't have to happen, but couldn't see it going any other way either. A good ending, a very realistic one, I think.
ARC from Netgalley.
May 21, 2018
The Last Suppers by Mandy Mikulencak is a complex, interesting, and a tightly written novel with a lot of depth within the pages of this book.
We were lost in the deep-rooted, earthy coulee with two of our Traveling Sisters reading The Last Suppers with us and we all really enjoyed this interesting story that brought some food for thought to our discussion.
Mandy Mikulencak does a good job capturing the emotional memories surrounding the food that left us thinking and discussing our favorites that we would choose for a “last supper”.
Mandy Mikulencak delivers an extremely moving and engaging story here and does a really good job creating a likeable character here with Ginny that we cared for and who we found to be very interesting. We loved the compassion that she had with the convicts and her need to see humanity in people and as the story progressed we could see her grow and we loved how we were shown how deep Ginny’s need for redemption was as the story progressed.
Food becomes its own character within this story and we begin to see the “last suppers” more in an in-depth and complex thought-provoking way as it is tied into Ginny’s desire to find out her own truth and what that means. Along with Roscoe we started to question the reasoning behind Ginny’s desire to give the convicts the perfect “last supper” and we needed to know what that was and why it has haunted her throughout her life.
To sum it all up it was an extremely interesting, thought-provoking, and well-written novel that had quite the unique premise to it which we all found extremely enjoyable with a satisfying ending that led to a very interesting and enjoyable discussion. Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Mandy Mikulencak for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Review written and posted on our themed book blog - Two Sisters Lost In a Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
We were lost in the deep-rooted, earthy coulee with two of our Traveling Sisters reading The Last Suppers with us and we all really enjoyed this interesting story that brought some food for thought to our discussion.
Mandy Mikulencak does a good job capturing the emotional memories surrounding the food that left us thinking and discussing our favorites that we would choose for a “last supper”.
Mandy Mikulencak delivers an extremely moving and engaging story here and does a really good job creating a likeable character here with Ginny that we cared for and who we found to be very interesting. We loved the compassion that she had with the convicts and her need to see humanity in people and as the story progressed we could see her grow and we loved how we were shown how deep Ginny’s need for redemption was as the story progressed.
Food becomes its own character within this story and we begin to see the “last suppers” more in an in-depth and complex thought-provoking way as it is tied into Ginny’s desire to find out her own truth and what that means. Along with Roscoe we started to question the reasoning behind Ginny’s desire to give the convicts the perfect “last supper” and we needed to know what that was and why it has haunted her throughout her life.
To sum it all up it was an extremely interesting, thought-provoking, and well-written novel that had quite the unique premise to it which we all found extremely enjoyable with a satisfying ending that led to a very interesting and enjoyable discussion. Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Mandy Mikulencak for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Review written and posted on our themed book blog - Two Sisters Lost In a Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
December 20, 2017
4 stars to The Last Suppers
I read somewhere that The Last Suppers had a foodie fiction angle. Well, not only that, but it was also a special genre hybrid I think fans of women's fiction and historical fiction will also especially enjoy. I was engaged from the start with this well-written story of Ginny, a prison cook, who prepares "last suppers" for inmates on death row at a prison in Louisiana.
My favorite parts of the book were when Ginny interacted with the inmates and their families, taking special care to get the recipes just right. These are recipes I have not tried before, and may not ever make (e.g., pork neck stew, I'm looking at you!), and somehow they sounded delicious and comforting because of Ginny.
There was also a special romance between Ginny and the prison warden, Roscoe. Is Roscoe truly the good, sensitive guy he appears to be? The plot left me guessing until the very end on that one.
The only reason I took away one star from this well-written and engaging book was that I wished it had more of the historical angle that it did in the beginning with the prison in Louisiana, and a little less about the later events that unfolded in the book (don't want to give anything away in my review).
Overall, this was smoothly written, with characters I cared for, and quite an interesting and original topic. I'm grateful to have spent time getting to know Ginny and the other characters in this book.
What a fabulous Traveling Sister read this was with Brenda and Diane! For Traveling Sister reviews, check out: https://twogirlslostinacouleereading....
Thank you to Mandy Mikulencak, Kensington Books, and Netgalley, for the opportunity to review an advanced copy. The Last Suppers will be released on December 26, 2017.
I read somewhere that The Last Suppers had a foodie fiction angle. Well, not only that, but it was also a special genre hybrid I think fans of women's fiction and historical fiction will also especially enjoy. I was engaged from the start with this well-written story of Ginny, a prison cook, who prepares "last suppers" for inmates on death row at a prison in Louisiana.
My favorite parts of the book were when Ginny interacted with the inmates and their families, taking special care to get the recipes just right. These are recipes I have not tried before, and may not ever make (e.g., pork neck stew, I'm looking at you!), and somehow they sounded delicious and comforting because of Ginny.
There was also a special romance between Ginny and the prison warden, Roscoe. Is Roscoe truly the good, sensitive guy he appears to be? The plot left me guessing until the very end on that one.
The only reason I took away one star from this well-written and engaging book was that I wished it had more of the historical angle that it did in the beginning with the prison in Louisiana, and a little less about the later events that unfolded in the book (don't want to give anything away in my review).
Overall, this was smoothly written, with characters I cared for, and quite an interesting and original topic. I'm grateful to have spent time getting to know Ginny and the other characters in this book.
What a fabulous Traveling Sister read this was with Brenda and Diane! For Traveling Sister reviews, check out: https://twogirlslostinacouleereading....
Thank you to Mandy Mikulencak, Kensington Books, and Netgalley, for the opportunity to review an advanced copy. The Last Suppers will be released on December 26, 2017.
January 11, 2018
Traveling Sister Review can be found
https://twogirlslostinacouleereading....
https://twogirlslostinacouleereading....
January 9, 2018
Follow my reviews on https://booknationbyjen.wordpress.com.
The Last Suppers is a captivating novel set in a Louisiana penitentiary where Ginny, young daughter of a murdered prison guard, is now all grown up and cooking for the inmates at the jail. She meets with the prisoners on death row to find out what they want for their last meal and does her best to create the requested dishes. The drama began two decades prior, when her father was killed and his supposed murderer was put to death while she and her mother were present. Her dad’s best friend, Roscoe promised to take care of Ginny and her mother, and now, Ginny and Roscoe, currently the jail warden, work together and are a couple, intimately involved. Despite the age difference, their comfortable routine has been beneficial to both of them over the years but things change when Ginny learns more about the man who paid the price for her father’s murder.
Author Mandy Mikulencak had me hooked from the beginning. Ginny is kind and compassionate and a little naive, yet she is strong and willful as she searches for the truth about her father and Roscoe, and passionate and fair when she connects with the prisoners, putting aside their crimes to learn what they want to eat. This story brings to light the food – emotion connection, and how last supper requests are often tied to prisoner’s comforting memories and not about hunger and eating. We see Ginny’s love and respect through her cooking and full recipes of some of the meals are included at the end. This book takes place in the 1950s and with rich characters and a gripping story, The Last Suppers highlights inequality and racism, the rights and treatment of inmates, love, loss, sacrifice and acceptance. I enjoyed this work of fiction and highly recommend it.
The Last Suppers is a captivating novel set in a Louisiana penitentiary where Ginny, young daughter of a murdered prison guard, is now all grown up and cooking for the inmates at the jail. She meets with the prisoners on death row to find out what they want for their last meal and does her best to create the requested dishes. The drama began two decades prior, when her father was killed and his supposed murderer was put to death while she and her mother were present. Her dad’s best friend, Roscoe promised to take care of Ginny and her mother, and now, Ginny and Roscoe, currently the jail warden, work together and are a couple, intimately involved. Despite the age difference, their comfortable routine has been beneficial to both of them over the years but things change when Ginny learns more about the man who paid the price for her father’s murder.
Author Mandy Mikulencak had me hooked from the beginning. Ginny is kind and compassionate and a little naive, yet she is strong and willful as she searches for the truth about her father and Roscoe, and passionate and fair when she connects with the prisoners, putting aside their crimes to learn what they want to eat. This story brings to light the food – emotion connection, and how last supper requests are often tied to prisoner’s comforting memories and not about hunger and eating. We see Ginny’s love and respect through her cooking and full recipes of some of the meals are included at the end. This book takes place in the 1950s and with rich characters and a gripping story, The Last Suppers highlights inequality and racism, the rights and treatment of inmates, love, loss, sacrifice and acceptance. I enjoyed this work of fiction and highly recommend it.
January 5, 2018
I was instantly drawn to this book and its story when I first read about it...and this book lived up to all my expectations! Ginny Polk is a prison cook in Louisiana in the 1950’s, a time of racial injustices and a prison system that is less than humane. Ginny takes on a special responsibility all her own...providing “last suppers”for the men on death row, a job she takes personally, a job that is frowned upon by the prison board. Ginny is an amazing character; strong, feisty, and independent, but with a caring heart that seeks out humanity in everyone...death row inmates, prison guards, and those she is closest too. Ginny’s story is compelling and poignant, a story of truth, mercy, and a quest for justice. The Last Suppers is unputdownable and unforgettable.
March 1, 2019
4.25 stars
How time can turn the tide. The cover up of a lie, a murder, and the guilt of a lifetime are the basis of this book. In addition to how the truth will start the healing process, for everyone involved.
Ginny is the head cook at a Louisianan prison. Roscoe is it's Warden. Ginny and Roscoe go back a lifetime - she was a child, he was her father's best friend. Against the Board of Superintendents, Roscoe lets Ginny prepare a last meal for the men being executed on Death Row. Actually, Roscoe lets Ginny do just about anything she wants. Roscoe and Ginny are in love, under the worst of circumstances, and the darkest of lies.
This was my first book by Mikulencak, but I will definitely seek out others. I found her writing style to be like a light switch being turned on. You start her book blindly, then move on to a well lit pathway, that guides you through. You get to know her characters, both good and bad, and feel an immediate sense of belonging - like an extra branch on the tree of her story. Her storytelling forms the volcano from which your satisfaction erupts.
How time can turn the tide. The cover up of a lie, a murder, and the guilt of a lifetime are the basis of this book. In addition to how the truth will start the healing process, for everyone involved.
Ginny is the head cook at a Louisianan prison. Roscoe is it's Warden. Ginny and Roscoe go back a lifetime - she was a child, he was her father's best friend. Against the Board of Superintendents, Roscoe lets Ginny prepare a last meal for the men being executed on Death Row. Actually, Roscoe lets Ginny do just about anything she wants. Roscoe and Ginny are in love, under the worst of circumstances, and the darkest of lies.
This was my first book by Mikulencak, but I will definitely seek out others. I found her writing style to be like a light switch being turned on. You start her book blindly, then move on to a well lit pathway, that guides you through. You get to know her characters, both good and bad, and feel an immediate sense of belonging - like an extra branch on the tree of her story. Her storytelling forms the volcano from which your satisfaction erupts.
March 29, 2018
“The Last Suppers” is a story set in a Louisiana between the 1930’s and 1950’s. The KKK was dominant and prison reform was an aspirant idea. Main character Ginny Polk is the prison cook for the fictitious Greenmount State Penitentiary. Ginny grew up around the prison; her father was a prison guard until his untimely death. Although she was young when her father died, some of the same staff remains when she is a young adult looking for work as a cook.
As the cook, Ginny wanted to provide those prisoners their last meals before their executions. She wanted to recognize human dignity, even in the most horrific human beings. At the time, prison reform was just an idea and most prison boards did not take kindly to prisoners being treated compassionately.
The story is a bit of historical fiction about the American penal situation in the ‘30’s through ‘50’s. Also author Mandy Mikulencak adds the racial tension of the time. That’s the broad structure of the novel. She throws in a murder mystery to add suspense to her story. Little bits of information are scattered through the beginning of the story to make the reader alert to the fact that there is some uncovered information regarding the murder of Ginny’s father.
I was intrigued with the idea of the novel: the last suppers of death-row inmates. Mikulencak’s prose kept me reading. This is an easy story to read. The story is well written, with an absorbing plot.
As the cook, Ginny wanted to provide those prisoners their last meals before their executions. She wanted to recognize human dignity, even in the most horrific human beings. At the time, prison reform was just an idea and most prison boards did not take kindly to prisoners being treated compassionately.
The story is a bit of historical fiction about the American penal situation in the ‘30’s through ‘50’s. Also author Mandy Mikulencak adds the racial tension of the time. That’s the broad structure of the novel. She throws in a murder mystery to add suspense to her story. Little bits of information are scattered through the beginning of the story to make the reader alert to the fact that there is some uncovered information regarding the murder of Ginny’s father.
I was intrigued with the idea of the novel: the last suppers of death-row inmates. Mikulencak’s prose kept me reading. This is an easy story to read. The story is well written, with an absorbing plot.
September 15, 2018
Not my cup of tea but it is well-written and a nice enough story. Just too "flowery" and overly-sentimental for my liking. I kept reading the book even though I dislike this writing style, because I was intrigued by the book blurb. However, there wasn't so much about the protagonist's interactions with the men on death row. Rather, it was about Ginny's personal life and romantic relationship. By the time I knew for sure the book wasn't what I thought it would be, I was half way through it and figured I'd just finish it. 2 stars for how much I like it, but I'll rate it 3 because it's not a bad book. If you like F/M romance with a bit of a back story, you might like it better than I did. If you like Danielle Steel, Robin Carr, Jodi Picoult, etc., you'll probably like this book.
May 24, 2018
The Last Suppers by Mandy Mikulencak has been compared to The Help and Dead Man Walking; I believe that this book can stand on its own. Set in Louisiana in the late 1950s with looks back several decades earlier, Ms Mikulencak’s story of Ginny Polk is one that is likely to stay with me for quite a while.
Ginny, a petite twenty-nine-year-old cook at Greenmount State Penitentiary, is stronger than she looks. She’s sassy, resourceful, and resilient. When she was eight, her daddy Joe Polk, who was a guard at the same prison, was murdered. Now she works as a cook in the kitchen. She also prepares the last meal for men condemned to the electric chair. It’s something she volunteered to do, something she feels compelled to do. When asked why, she cannot explain it, except that despite their terrible crimes, she feels that she is recognizing their humanity in a way that most others cannot. Will not.
This, mind you, is in the Deep South in a time when racism is still accepted. Expected. It took me a while to realize that Ginny herself is white. That made quite an impact on me. Not all of the prisoners are black, of course, but the man who was executed for killing her father was, and we get the impression that Ginny has unresolved questions and issues about her father and the way he died. The execution of the man who was convicted as his killer is engraved in her memory forever. That disturbs her more than anything, I think. As the book goes on, more of Ginny’s feelings are revealed.
Ginny also has a “special relationship” with the warden, Roscoe Simms. Roscoe is much older than Ginny; in fact, he worked as a guard with Ginny’s father when Ginny was only eight. The warden’s job is challenging and thankless – damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. He’s caught between the Board, the guards, and the prisoners. When he took over, he promised reforms, but not everyone welcomes change. Roscoe is not one of those “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” type of men. There is more, much more that lies beneath the surface of Roscoe Simms. Even Ginny doesn’t know it all, and Roscoe doesn’t want her to.
There’s Dot, a large black woman who is Ginny’s friend and confidant. Despite the fact that Ginny is her boss, Dot is more like a mama to her, and she doesn’t hesitate to give her a piece of her mind. She’s much more of a mother to Ginny than Miriam, Ginny’s real mother. The relationships in this book are rich and spirited. No, they’re not perfect, but relationships never are. Over time, throughout the course of this book, secrets are revealed that change the face of these relationships.
Besides Roscoe and Dot, Ginny’s lifeline is cooking. When supplies are short, she can make do, substitute, and stretch the meager supplies to make a palatable meal for the prisoners. When it comes time to prepare a last supper, she is escorted to the Waiting Room, where she speaks with the prisoner about his wishes. She even goes the extra mile to talk to relatives to get a special family recipe and test it in advance to ensure a successful dish. My thoughts as I read this was that it truly seemed like a calling and a ministry.
There are difficult themes throughout this book. Racism is one of them. The death penalty is obviously another. One cannot read The Last Suppers and feel that these challenges are in the past. We’ve moved into the 21st century, and we know that those struggles are still with us today.
Despite her boldness and her assumptions that sometimes get her into trouble, Ginny Polk is a champion. She follows her conscience and her heart. Does she make mistakes? Yes, and she has terrible regrets, to be sure. Through all of her trials, she learns and grows. Her cooking is a creative outlet that binds her to her loved ones and to strangers, especially to those who are the most reviled in our society.
Mandy Mikulencak gave me much food for thought, and I felt uplifted by Ginny Polk. I hope others will too.
5 stars
Ginny, a petite twenty-nine-year-old cook at Greenmount State Penitentiary, is stronger than she looks. She’s sassy, resourceful, and resilient. When she was eight, her daddy Joe Polk, who was a guard at the same prison, was murdered. Now she works as a cook in the kitchen. She also prepares the last meal for men condemned to the electric chair. It’s something she volunteered to do, something she feels compelled to do. When asked why, she cannot explain it, except that despite their terrible crimes, she feels that she is recognizing their humanity in a way that most others cannot. Will not.
This, mind you, is in the Deep South in a time when racism is still accepted. Expected. It took me a while to realize that Ginny herself is white. That made quite an impact on me. Not all of the prisoners are black, of course, but the man who was executed for killing her father was, and we get the impression that Ginny has unresolved questions and issues about her father and the way he died. The execution of the man who was convicted as his killer is engraved in her memory forever. That disturbs her more than anything, I think. As the book goes on, more of Ginny’s feelings are revealed.
Ginny also has a “special relationship” with the warden, Roscoe Simms. Roscoe is much older than Ginny; in fact, he worked as a guard with Ginny’s father when Ginny was only eight. The warden’s job is challenging and thankless – damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. He’s caught between the Board, the guards, and the prisoners. When he took over, he promised reforms, but not everyone welcomes change. Roscoe is not one of those “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” type of men. There is more, much more that lies beneath the surface of Roscoe Simms. Even Ginny doesn’t know it all, and Roscoe doesn’t want her to.
There’s Dot, a large black woman who is Ginny’s friend and confidant. Despite the fact that Ginny is her boss, Dot is more like a mama to her, and she doesn’t hesitate to give her a piece of her mind. She’s much more of a mother to Ginny than Miriam, Ginny’s real mother. The relationships in this book are rich and spirited. No, they’re not perfect, but relationships never are. Over time, throughout the course of this book, secrets are revealed that change the face of these relationships.
Besides Roscoe and Dot, Ginny’s lifeline is cooking. When supplies are short, she can make do, substitute, and stretch the meager supplies to make a palatable meal for the prisoners. When it comes time to prepare a last supper, she is escorted to the Waiting Room, where she speaks with the prisoner about his wishes. She even goes the extra mile to talk to relatives to get a special family recipe and test it in advance to ensure a successful dish. My thoughts as I read this was that it truly seemed like a calling and a ministry.
There are difficult themes throughout this book. Racism is one of them. The death penalty is obviously another. One cannot read The Last Suppers and feel that these challenges are in the past. We’ve moved into the 21st century, and we know that those struggles are still with us today.
Despite her boldness and her assumptions that sometimes get her into trouble, Ginny Polk is a champion. She follows her conscience and her heart. Does she make mistakes? Yes, and she has terrible regrets, to be sure. Through all of her trials, she learns and grows. Her cooking is a creative outlet that binds her to her loved ones and to strangers, especially to those who are the most reviled in our society.
Mandy Mikulencak gave me much food for thought, and I felt uplifted by Ginny Polk. I hope others will too.
5 stars
October 5, 2019
Ginny Polk is in charge of the kitchen at a Louisiana penitentiary where her father once worked as a prison guard. Her father was murdered when she was a small child. Her mother insisted that Ginny be present at the execution of the man accused of his murder. Ginny has never quite gotten over her sorrow for her father and the shock of the execution.
Against the wishes of the Superintendent of Corrections and the prison board, she has made it her mission to prepare a last meal for inmates on death row. She has also begun an intimate relationship with the prison warden who was once her father’s best friend.
When Ginny accidentally learns some details about her father’s murder her world is turned upside down.
I was interested in reading this book because I thought it would be focused more on Ginny’s relationships with the death row inmates. However, the novel is more about Ginny’s romantic relationship with the prison warden and the details surrounding her father’s murder. It’s a story of sacrifice, love, family secrets, and race. It’s a good read, but not really what I had expected.
Against the wishes of the Superintendent of Corrections and the prison board, she has made it her mission to prepare a last meal for inmates on death row. She has also begun an intimate relationship with the prison warden who was once her father’s best friend.
When Ginny accidentally learns some details about her father’s murder her world is turned upside down.
I was interested in reading this book because I thought it would be focused more on Ginny’s relationships with the death row inmates. However, the novel is more about Ginny’s romantic relationship with the prison warden and the details surrounding her father’s murder. It’s a story of sacrifice, love, family secrets, and race. It’s a good read, but not really what I had expected.
December 24, 2017
A beautifully written story, both absorbing and haunting, Mandy Mikulencak delivers a breakout book, THE LAST SUPPERS —a heartbreaking tale of secrets, racism, inequality, the death penalty, and prisoner rights.
A courageous young woman becomes obsessed with the preparation of the last meals for death row inmates, and a lover haunted by his related past.
However, there is a mystery to be unraveled about her own father’s murder and secrets of the past. A strong need for justice.
Part Southern, historical, mystery, and suspense. From the 1920s-1960s, a young woman Ginny works at the fictional Greenmount Penitentiary in Louisiana. Her father was a guard at the same prison years ago and murdered when she was six-years-old.
Ginny Polk currently resides with Roscoe (Warden Simms), who also works at the prison as a warden. He is old enough to be her father.
Her father, Joe (a heavy drinker) and Roscoe were best friends for years. He promised her father he would take care of her and her mother, Miriam. Roscoe and Ginny keep their relationship a secret inside the prison. Warden and cook.
Executions were hard on Ginny. The cruelty and darkness of the prison often overwhelmed her and gave her panic attacks and nightmares. Her mom, Miriam forced her to attend the execution of the man who murdered her dad, when she was only eight-years-old.
His name was Silas Barnes. She recalled his wife and son. She also remembered the horrors of his claim of innocence until the very end. She is haunted by the family he left behind. She always suspected something was not right.
Dot, an African woman, also works in the kitchen with Ginny. She is like a mother to her. (loved her). She has always been there for her to pick up the pieces.
On a side note: Love the show "Queen Sugar." If there is a movie based on this book, would love to see Dot played by Tina Lifford or one of the strong leading ladies. Ginny played by Jessica Elise De Gouw, and Roscoe by Christopher Meloni from "Underground." Love this show and hope it comes back for another season.
No one can understand why Ginny is so concerned about the death row prisoners, and their last meal. Her madness started the day she was forced to witness the execution of her father’s killer.
Ginny is now almost thirty years old. She is unsure she loves Roscoe, but she has feelings for him. She knew she did not want to raise children in this compound.
Currently, Ginny is concerned about the next execution in less than a week. Samuel LeBoux. He will be her nineteenth execution she has witnessed.
She wants to ensure he has his last meal. She would seek out the prisoner, the family, and try to determine their most memorable dish. Ginny would do her best to replicate it, even using her own money.
Some thought a man only hours from dying would not be able to enjoy a meal. He has done horrible things. Does he deserve such a right?
Ginny feels differently. It was not the act of eating. It was something memorable the prisoner may have treasured from his past.
Memory and loss, more than hunger and pleasure. She believed it was a sign of respect to offer them a last meal. A prisoner is a human no matter the crimes they have committed. Ginny wanted to do something special for them.
She has fond memories of her dad enjoying a tasty dessert. Even after his death, she would learn how to make a new dessert each week.
Haunted by the families who watched their loved ones die. Her grandmother always said a person’s soul drifted up from his body at the moment of death and some could see it. She still watches.
“Their fear and anger usually surpassed that of the death row inmate’s emotions, and it was a horrible thing to witness.”
The executions. The electric chairs. The families. "Ginny always wondered if taking one life for another— meant justice would be served?"
She volunteered to witness every execution and take down the prisoners’ last words, although all she had to do was drop off a tray of food and leave.
Ginny’s scrapbook of these men included the recipe of the dish he requested as his last supper and the words he uttered seconds before dying in the electric chair.
From rape, murder, and robbery and unspeakable crimes. However, the men had a family. Wives, mothers, children, and friends. What torture did they undergo inside the prison walls?
Roscoe and Ginny’s relationship becomes strained since the board visited often and Roscoe was under a lot of pressure trying to protect inmates.
Roscoe thought Ginny was trying to make up for something as if she believed the family of her dad’s murderer blamed her.
He does not want her getting to close to this current execution. What is he hiding? Roscoe has his demons from the past. Those secrets he has been forced to keep quiet.
Ginny still has nightmares about the family. The worst was the guilt of the family—Taking a father away from his son. She begged his forgiveness.
Only once in all the years had anyone screamed out he was innocent. It was Silas, her dad’s murderer. He did not receive "the last supper. " This incident still haunts her. Why does she remember now? She feels their utter despair.
Joe hadn’t died at the prison, but rather just outside of Baton Rouge. However, Miriam blamed the penitentiary. What was the real reason he died that night?
The secrets of the past surface as Ginny becomes involved with Samuel’s last meal. The real truth about that night so long ago is slowly revealed and the events leading up to the murder.
No matter how many suppers she cooked, she could never undo the pain his family endured. The devastating and lasting memory of Silas Barnes’ death. Was he innocent?
Ginny soon uncovers a shameful part of her daddy’s past. The ugly truths intertwined with Dot’s family history. From the Klan, rape, racial injustice, coverups, and murder. She must make the wrongs, rights.
Filled with sympathy and compassion, as a reader your heart goes out to Ginny. Secrets, truth, lies, heartbreak, mercy, despair, hope, and redemption.
She finds comfort in food. Food is an ongoing theme throughout the book, as well as the stories of different inmates and their requests for last meals. A sharing of cooking secrets with the writing of a cookbook.
Mikulencak deftly unravels a compelling story of heartache, courage, mercy, and love. The author has put her heart into this novel and reflective throughout. Well-researched, an astounding job with the highly-charged subject material and character-development. Darkness and light. Even though historic, we are faced with similar destructive issues today, decades later.
For fans of Diane Chamberlain, Heather Gudenkauf, Karen White, Vanessa Lafaye, Mary Marcus, Amy Conner, and Kim Richardson. THE LAST SUPPERS is an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. (guide included as well as featured recipes).
Thought-provoking fiction that exposes the dark side of our racial past and present and our ongoing corruption within our distressing prison and justice system, yet today.
Highly recommend!
A special thank you to Kensington/John Scognamiglio Imprint for an advanced reading copy. It was a pleasure meeting this talented author. Look forward to more.
A courageous young woman becomes obsessed with the preparation of the last meals for death row inmates, and a lover haunted by his related past.
However, there is a mystery to be unraveled about her own father’s murder and secrets of the past. A strong need for justice.
Part Southern, historical, mystery, and suspense. From the 1920s-1960s, a young woman Ginny works at the fictional Greenmount Penitentiary in Louisiana. Her father was a guard at the same prison years ago and murdered when she was six-years-old.
Ginny Polk currently resides with Roscoe (Warden Simms), who also works at the prison as a warden. He is old enough to be her father.
Her father, Joe (a heavy drinker) and Roscoe were best friends for years. He promised her father he would take care of her and her mother, Miriam. Roscoe and Ginny keep their relationship a secret inside the prison. Warden and cook.
Executions were hard on Ginny. The cruelty and darkness of the prison often overwhelmed her and gave her panic attacks and nightmares. Her mom, Miriam forced her to attend the execution of the man who murdered her dad, when she was only eight-years-old.
His name was Silas Barnes. She recalled his wife and son. She also remembered the horrors of his claim of innocence until the very end. She is haunted by the family he left behind. She always suspected something was not right.
Dot, an African woman, also works in the kitchen with Ginny. She is like a mother to her. (loved her). She has always been there for her to pick up the pieces.
On a side note: Love the show "Queen Sugar." If there is a movie based on this book, would love to see Dot played by Tina Lifford or one of the strong leading ladies. Ginny played by Jessica Elise De Gouw, and Roscoe by Christopher Meloni from "Underground." Love this show and hope it comes back for another season.
No one can understand why Ginny is so concerned about the death row prisoners, and their last meal. Her madness started the day she was forced to witness the execution of her father’s killer.
Ginny is now almost thirty years old. She is unsure she loves Roscoe, but she has feelings for him. She knew she did not want to raise children in this compound.
Currently, Ginny is concerned about the next execution in less than a week. Samuel LeBoux. He will be her nineteenth execution she has witnessed.
She wants to ensure he has his last meal. She would seek out the prisoner, the family, and try to determine their most memorable dish. Ginny would do her best to replicate it, even using her own money.
Some thought a man only hours from dying would not be able to enjoy a meal. He has done horrible things. Does he deserve such a right?
Ginny feels differently. It was not the act of eating. It was something memorable the prisoner may have treasured from his past.
Memory and loss, more than hunger and pleasure. She believed it was a sign of respect to offer them a last meal. A prisoner is a human no matter the crimes they have committed. Ginny wanted to do something special for them.
She has fond memories of her dad enjoying a tasty dessert. Even after his death, she would learn how to make a new dessert each week.
Haunted by the families who watched their loved ones die. Her grandmother always said a person’s soul drifted up from his body at the moment of death and some could see it. She still watches.
“Their fear and anger usually surpassed that of the death row inmate’s emotions, and it was a horrible thing to witness.”
The executions. The electric chairs. The families. "Ginny always wondered if taking one life for another— meant justice would be served?"
She volunteered to witness every execution and take down the prisoners’ last words, although all she had to do was drop off a tray of food and leave.
Ginny’s scrapbook of these men included the recipe of the dish he requested as his last supper and the words he uttered seconds before dying in the electric chair.
From rape, murder, and robbery and unspeakable crimes. However, the men had a family. Wives, mothers, children, and friends. What torture did they undergo inside the prison walls?
Roscoe and Ginny’s relationship becomes strained since the board visited often and Roscoe was under a lot of pressure trying to protect inmates.
Roscoe thought Ginny was trying to make up for something as if she believed the family of her dad’s murderer blamed her.
He does not want her getting to close to this current execution. What is he hiding? Roscoe has his demons from the past. Those secrets he has been forced to keep quiet.
Ginny still has nightmares about the family. The worst was the guilt of the family—Taking a father away from his son. She begged his forgiveness.
Only once in all the years had anyone screamed out he was innocent. It was Silas, her dad’s murderer. He did not receive "the last supper. " This incident still haunts her. Why does she remember now? She feels their utter despair.
Joe hadn’t died at the prison, but rather just outside of Baton Rouge. However, Miriam blamed the penitentiary. What was the real reason he died that night?
The secrets of the past surface as Ginny becomes involved with Samuel’s last meal. The real truth about that night so long ago is slowly revealed and the events leading up to the murder.
No matter how many suppers she cooked, she could never undo the pain his family endured. The devastating and lasting memory of Silas Barnes’ death. Was he innocent?
Ginny soon uncovers a shameful part of her daddy’s past. The ugly truths intertwined with Dot’s family history. From the Klan, rape, racial injustice, coverups, and murder. She must make the wrongs, rights.
Filled with sympathy and compassion, as a reader your heart goes out to Ginny. Secrets, truth, lies, heartbreak, mercy, despair, hope, and redemption.
She finds comfort in food. Food is an ongoing theme throughout the book, as well as the stories of different inmates and their requests for last meals. A sharing of cooking secrets with the writing of a cookbook.
Mikulencak deftly unravels a compelling story of heartache, courage, mercy, and love. The author has put her heart into this novel and reflective throughout. Well-researched, an astounding job with the highly-charged subject material and character-development. Darkness and light. Even though historic, we are faced with similar destructive issues today, decades later.
For fans of Diane Chamberlain, Heather Gudenkauf, Karen White, Vanessa Lafaye, Mary Marcus, Amy Conner, and Kim Richardson. THE LAST SUPPERS is an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. (guide included as well as featured recipes).
Thought-provoking fiction that exposes the dark side of our racial past and present and our ongoing corruption within our distressing prison and justice system, yet today.
Highly recommend!
A special thank you to Kensington/John Scognamiglio Imprint for an advanced reading copy. It was a pleasure meeting this talented author. Look forward to more.
April 5, 2020
I was drawn to this book because of the main character’s unusual job; creating last meals for prison inmates before their executions. Ginny has a big heart; she feels that doing this for the men means something to them. She hopes that maybe her meals “ are the light the prisoners need make it through the final hours before death claims them.”
This was a historical fiction story, alternating between the 30’s and the 50’s, set in Louisiana. Because of the time and setting, there are ideas expressed and words used that are no longer acceptable in today’s society. Although at times it was difficult to read about the cost of prejudice, it did make for a good historical fiction read. Definitely a book for adult readers, though.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 256)-“She sometimes judged Roscoe for not being braver in 1938...a six-year-old girl was courageous enough to show people their ignorance, yet a grown man refused to stand up against the Klan.”
This was a historical fiction story, alternating between the 30’s and the 50’s, set in Louisiana. Because of the time and setting, there are ideas expressed and words used that are no longer acceptable in today’s society. Although at times it was difficult to read about the cost of prejudice, it did make for a good historical fiction read. Definitely a book for adult readers, though.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 256)-“She sometimes judged Roscoe for not being braver in 1938...a six-year-old girl was courageous enough to show people their ignorance, yet a grown man refused to stand up against the Klan.”
May 31, 2018
Netgalley #36
Many thanks go to the author, Kensington Books, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
A young woman named Ginny is hired at the prison where her father worked before he was killed to cook in the kitchen. She is in a relationship with the warden and does not at all get along with her mother. But she has a soft heart. She likes to contact the families of the men on death row and cook their favorite meals as their last meals, which is against the rules. It's cathartic but she doesn't realize it because she's still healing from watching her father's murderer's execution.
Ginny has a ton of conflicting emotions roiling around inside. Her lover was her father's best friend. She cries a lot. She seems to get bossed around a lot, but she's really stubborn so it doesn't go over well. This book takes us through her process of maturing and facing the truth of her situation. She's boxed up most of her feelings through the years. It's a narrative unfolding with a smooth finish.
One special feature is the inclusion of all of the recipes for the food mentioned in the book. I'd like took all of it. There is also a reader's guide for a book club. It consists of some great questions.
All in all this was a good book. I dont know if I would have bought it, but I would have checked it out at the library.
Many thanks go to the author, Kensington Books, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
A young woman named Ginny is hired at the prison where her father worked before he was killed to cook in the kitchen. She is in a relationship with the warden and does not at all get along with her mother. But she has a soft heart. She likes to contact the families of the men on death row and cook their favorite meals as their last meals, which is against the rules. It's cathartic but she doesn't realize it because she's still healing from watching her father's murderer's execution.
Ginny has a ton of conflicting emotions roiling around inside. Her lover was her father's best friend. She cries a lot. She seems to get bossed around a lot, but she's really stubborn so it doesn't go over well. This book takes us through her process of maturing and facing the truth of her situation. She's boxed up most of her feelings through the years. It's a narrative unfolding with a smooth finish.
One special feature is the inclusion of all of the recipes for the food mentioned in the book. I'd like took all of it. There is also a reader's guide for a book club. It consists of some great questions.
All in all this was a good book. I dont know if I would have bought it, but I would have checked it out at the library.
March 30, 2019
This is the story of Ginny Polk, a cook at the Greenmount Penitentiary in Louisiana in the 1950s. She becomes known for cooking last supper requests for the inmates on Death Row. He father had been a prison guard there until is murder when she was just a young girl. Her mother, Miriam, forced her to witness her father’s killer’s execution. This scarred her in many ways.
After she started working at the prison, she became involved with the prison warden, Roscoe Simms, who had been her father’s best friend. Ginny isn’t sure of what their relationship means, but it’s good for right now. She’s not sure what she wants in the relationship.
Events occur in the story which make Ginny question everything she has known about herself,her life and those she loves. The person who gives her the most support is Dot, an older black woman who works with Ginny in the kitchen. Since Ginny has a love/hate relationship with her own mother (mostly hate) Dot is a beloved mother figure to her.
There are a lot of interesting characters in this book, and they are well portrayed. As the story moves along, some of the characters are not what or who you think they are. It is interesting to read and adjust your impression of some characters as you learn more information. Ginny is always a very moral and sympathetic character, with a good heart.
The prison itself becomes a character in the story, since much of the story takes place there and it has such an important impact on many characters’ lives. There are times you can sense the oppression of the place, and feel the stifling heat of the Louisiana days.
This was a good read and always held my interest. A definite recommend.
After she started working at the prison, she became involved with the prison warden, Roscoe Simms, who had been her father’s best friend. Ginny isn’t sure of what their relationship means, but it’s good for right now. She’s not sure what she wants in the relationship.
Events occur in the story which make Ginny question everything she has known about herself,her life and those she loves. The person who gives her the most support is Dot, an older black woman who works with Ginny in the kitchen. Since Ginny has a love/hate relationship with her own mother (mostly hate) Dot is a beloved mother figure to her.
There are a lot of interesting characters in this book, and they are well portrayed. As the story moves along, some of the characters are not what or who you think they are. It is interesting to read and adjust your impression of some characters as you learn more information. Ginny is always a very moral and sympathetic character, with a good heart.
The prison itself becomes a character in the story, since much of the story takes place there and it has such an important impact on many characters’ lives. There are times you can sense the oppression of the place, and feel the stifling heat of the Louisiana days.
This was a good read and always held my interest. A definite recommend.
February 1, 2018
The first half of this book was amazing! It takes place in the 1950's, in a prison in Louisiana. Ginny grew up around the prison, since her Daddy was a guard there. Now as an adult, she loves feeding the death row inmates and makes sure she cooks each of their last suppers - with love and care. One particular inmate is extra special and she goes the extra mile to track down what his favorite meal might be! The story of how she cared for so many people with her food was so endearing to me!!!! I was so caught up in all her feelings that surrounded her life at the prison.
The second half of this book departed from the kitchen and all it's wonderfulness and became a mystery of what happened surrounding her father's death. We went from Pork Neck stew to alcoholic's, murder, liars, and race in the south. The second half didn't pull me in as strongly as the first...but it made for a nice well rounded little mystery. Not too hard to figure out, but all still very interesting!! The audio narration was very good too!!!!
The second half of this book departed from the kitchen and all it's wonderfulness and became a mystery of what happened surrounding her father's death. We went from Pork Neck stew to alcoholic's, murder, liars, and race in the south. The second half didn't pull me in as strongly as the first...but it made for a nice well rounded little mystery. Not too hard to figure out, but all still very interesting!! The audio narration was very good too!!!!
June 3, 2017
The Last Suppers is a stunning debut novel. It won't be shelved as a mystery, but mystery abounds. Why does prison warden Roscoe love a woman half his age? Why does Ginny Polk stay as head cook in the kitchen? is the story Ginny always heard about her father's death true? I love the details of southern cooking and prison life Mikulencak brings to the story. Even more I love following the ever-revealed depths of Ginny's thoughts and soul, her family past, her current friendship and her lover. Do read this book. You won't have wasted a moment.
February 16, 2018
4.5 stars. Ginny Polk has compassion for the prisoners on death row at the Greenmount State Penitentiary where her father worked before he was murdered. She works in the prison kitchen along with her friend, Dot. Together they prepare meals for the last supper before the electric chair. Ginny is in a relationship with the prison’s warden, Roscoe, who was her father’s best friend.
I felt as though I was in that time period of the 1950s and I enjoyed the comfort food Ginny made.
Secrets that have kept hidden for years are finally revealed, & lives are forever changed.
I felt as though I was in that time period of the 1950s and I enjoyed the comfort food Ginny made.
Secrets that have kept hidden for years are finally revealed, & lives are forever changed.
February 16, 2018
Very good read, I was impressed by how many "layers" are within the story. The description makes it sound like it is all about the food (which could've been chick-litty), but it was much deeper than that. I'd recommend.
didn-t-finish
July 20, 2018This is... just not capturing me as much as I would like it to. Back to the library you go!
June 5, 2019
If you had to choose what your last supper would be, what would you ask for? This is a thought provoking and moving story. The thought process and care that Ginny put into planning and making the last suppers for Death Row inmates before their execution, became an obsession for her that effected her life and those around her. I felt for Ginny's conflicted feelings with her job and for the people in her life. There were some touching moments and some sadness which made this a book that held my interest and I'm glad that I stumbled across this book while perusing my options at Barnes & Noble. This story fit in with some of my favorite topics to read: Historical & Southern Fiction.
December 13, 2017
The Last Suppers –
This was an advanced read I received from NetGalley and Kensington Books by Mandy Mikulencak for my honest review.
This was a good book about a daughter (Ginny) of a former prison guard, who was murdered, her father’s murderer sent to death row (in which her mother made her watch) and how she later became a cook at the same prison cooking the death row inmates last suppers. Ginny did a lot of research into their requests, even going to meet with their families to get the exact recipes and how to cook them. She also became romantically involved with her father’s best friend, Roscoe, the new warden at the prison. But there were also dark secrets between her, her mother, Roscoe, and the prison. Throughout the book Ginny tries to reconcile the murder of her father and then realizes it wasn’t as she has always been told. Then she realizes why she had to be at the prison as a cook making those last suppers.
This was a good read, sometimes portions took me a little while to grasp, but the story was sometimes not an even flow. There were “section breakers” about prisoners and their story of how they came to prison, but not necessarily characters in the main story line. So those were a little confusing to me as to why they were even in there, it would have made more sense to make them of the persons she was preparing those last suppers for. The character of Ginny was relatable, but her mother and Roscoe I had a hard time connecting with, their relationship got confusing at times. This was a book I wanted to read because the subject matter interested me, especially after having worked in criminal law for a time. I also found this interesting as I now live in the Deep South and have heard a lot of the discrimination that happened back then, and still today. I would recommend this book to others who also like the subject matter with just a little bit of mystery.
This was an advanced read I received from NetGalley and Kensington Books by Mandy Mikulencak for my honest review.
This was a good book about a daughter (Ginny) of a former prison guard, who was murdered, her father’s murderer sent to death row (in which her mother made her watch) and how she later became a cook at the same prison cooking the death row inmates last suppers. Ginny did a lot of research into their requests, even going to meet with their families to get the exact recipes and how to cook them. She also became romantically involved with her father’s best friend, Roscoe, the new warden at the prison. But there were also dark secrets between her, her mother, Roscoe, and the prison. Throughout the book Ginny tries to reconcile the murder of her father and then realizes it wasn’t as she has always been told. Then she realizes why she had to be at the prison as a cook making those last suppers.
This was a good read, sometimes portions took me a little while to grasp, but the story was sometimes not an even flow. There were “section breakers” about prisoners and their story of how they came to prison, but not necessarily characters in the main story line. So those were a little confusing to me as to why they were even in there, it would have made more sense to make them of the persons she was preparing those last suppers for. The character of Ginny was relatable, but her mother and Roscoe I had a hard time connecting with, their relationship got confusing at times. This was a book I wanted to read because the subject matter interested me, especially after having worked in criminal law for a time. I also found this interesting as I now live in the Deep South and have heard a lot of the discrimination that happened back then, and still today. I would recommend this book to others who also like the subject matter with just a little bit of mystery.
June 30, 2019
3.5 rating. While I found this book to be a bit depressing and dark, it was well written. A young girl who is forced to watch the execution of her fathers murderer and grows up to become a cook in the same Louisiana state penitentiary insisting on cooking a final meal for the inmates before their execution. As the years progress she learns about her fathers dark history and the truth leading up to his death.
November 24, 2017
This book is amazing. At first I thought I wouldn't like it and the once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I devoured this book
August 15, 2018
Set in the 1950's, The Last Suppers tells a story of a prison cook who prepares final meals for death row inmates prior to execution. This is when doing this was frowned upon. Ginny Polk has a tender side of her that wants to give the inmates something to cherish before their final days regardless of their crimes. Growing up in prison she saw first hand how the prison work affected her daddy turning him to drink. As her love story blossoms with the new prison warden and her daddy's best friend she learns dark secrets surrounding her family and the ones she loves most that she can't run away from. This book is a tear jerker and pulls on all of your heartstrings.
March 31, 2018
A book that was difficult to put down, The Last Suppers delivers a great big helping of Southern-fried historical fiction. The combination of comfort food (recipes included!), racial unrest and the Louisiana correctional system is unique to this reader. The character of Ginny is one with whom the reader easily sympathizes, and although the end didn’t turn out the way that I had hoped, it ended exactly as it should. Now, off to make some cornbread!
February 14, 2018
3.5 stars For more like this visit www.goodbookfairy.com
The premise of The Last Suppers put this at the top of my TBR list. The idea of a woman giving a bit of comfort and humanity to death row inmates was indeed unique, especially because it wasn’t allowed. The protagonist, Ginny, was determined to give these men some sense of peace before they were sent to the electric chair.
Various inmates, Dot, Roscoe, Miriam and Ginny’s departed father made up the strong cast of characters. Food was also represented as a character. Its presence was in every chapter and caused a bucket of issues between the pages. It also brought great comfort. The idea that it could conjure up memories of happier times was a strong message in the novel.
Much of this novel takes place in the past as Ginny relives witnessing her father’s murderer die in the electric chair. That image has stayed with her long into her life and alludes to why she wants to give them a bit of kindness, no matter what their crime was. Her father’s murder is the underlying mystery in the novel and as Ginny meets the prisoner’s families, she gleans information on what really occurred.
Racial tension in the south is an ever-present theme in the novel as are love, inequality, loss, and prisoner’s rights. Discussions of capital punishment and treatment of prisoners could fill an entire book club with a lively debate.
The premise of The Last Suppers put this at the top of my TBR list. The idea of a woman giving a bit of comfort and humanity to death row inmates was indeed unique, especially because it wasn’t allowed. The protagonist, Ginny, was determined to give these men some sense of peace before they were sent to the electric chair.
Various inmates, Dot, Roscoe, Miriam and Ginny’s departed father made up the strong cast of characters. Food was also represented as a character. Its presence was in every chapter and caused a bucket of issues between the pages. It also brought great comfort. The idea that it could conjure up memories of happier times was a strong message in the novel.
Much of this novel takes place in the past as Ginny relives witnessing her father’s murderer die in the electric chair. That image has stayed with her long into her life and alludes to why she wants to give them a bit of kindness, no matter what their crime was. Her father’s murder is the underlying mystery in the novel and as Ginny meets the prisoner’s families, she gleans information on what really occurred.
Racial tension in the south is an ever-present theme in the novel as are love, inequality, loss, and prisoner’s rights. Discussions of capital punishment and treatment of prisoners could fill an entire book club with a lively debate.
March 1, 2018
Interesting story that is the brain child of The Help and The Shawshank Redemption. It's a love story, history piece, and somewhat coming of age fictional book. I enjoyed the relationships Ginny had with her mother, Dot, and her "boyfriend" Roscoe. I also enjoyed the recipes at the end of the book!
Heartwarming and heartbreaking this book gives a look into life in 1950s Louisiana with some flashbacks into 1938. I highly recommend it.
Heartwarming and heartbreaking this book gives a look into life in 1950s Louisiana with some flashbacks into 1938. I highly recommend it.
July 31, 2019
This book was so good. I've had an advanced reader copy sitting on my desk for two years and I'm mad that it took me this long to get to it. This would make a great book club choice! The story centers on segregation, the criminal justice system, family, and community. But it is the characters that I will remember most. I love the evolution each character goes through. I love the open and honest way Ginny works through the life-changing events she is forced to endure. I love the push-pull dynamic of Ginny and her mother. Also, food plays a huge role in this book. It serves as a plot point, a source of comfort, a memory, and a manifestation of hope.
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