What do you think?
Rate this book
Feast: True Love in and out of the Kitchen
The compulsively readable memoir of a woman at war—with herself, with her body, and with food—while working her way through the underbelly of New York City’s glamorous culinary scene. Hannah Howard is a Columbia University freshman when she lands a hostess job at Picholine, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan. Eighteen years old and eager to learn, she’s invigorated by the manic energy and knife-sharp focus of the crew. By day Hannah explores the Columbia arts scene, struggling to find her place. By night she’s intoxicated by boxes of heady truffles and intrigued by the food industry’s insiders. She’s hungry for knowledge, success, and love, but she’s also ravenous because she hasn’t eaten more than yogurt and coffee in days. Hannah is hiding an eating disorder. The excruciatingly late nights, demanding chefs, bad boyfriends, and destructive obsessions have left a void inside her that she can’t fill. To reconcile her relationships with the food she worships and a body she struggles to accept, Hannah’s going to have to learn to nourish her soul.
235 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2018
2461 people are currently reading
4828 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Howard
4 books134 followersI’m the author of the Amazon bestselling memoirs Feast: True Love in and out of the Kitchen and Plenty: A Memoir of Food and Family, and the Editor-in-Chief at ParentCo. I write and speak about parenting, food, body image, and beyond.
My work has been featured in Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, New York Magazine, Bon Appetit, Saveur, VICE, SELF, Wine Enthusiast, Thrillist, Time Out New York, Salon, and the Chicago Review of Books. I teach writing classes and live in Frenchtown, NJ with my family. I love stinky cheese.
My work has been featured in Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, New York Magazine, Bon Appetit, Saveur, VICE, SELF, Wine Enthusiast, Thrillist, Time Out New York, Salon, and the Chicago Review of Books. I teach writing classes and live in Frenchtown, NJ with my family. I love stinky cheese.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 482 reviews
May 8, 2018
4.5 stars, rounded up.
"Life is big and scary. Food is constant, safe, dependable."
Growing up in Baltimore, Hannah Howard always loved and appreciated food—ethnic and gourmet specialties as well as comfort food. Her mother was always dieting, always trying to shed those stubborn pounds, and Hannah, who was always taller and more amply proportioned than her classmates, inherited those struggles. She wanted to be popular, to be pretty, to be able to wear different clothes, but she couldn't outrun her body type or her love of food.
As she grew tired of hating how she looked in the mirror, she began starving herself. When she didn't eat, even though she felt dizzy and incapable of physically making it through the days, she was more satisfied with herself. When she occasionally slipped, falling prey to immense food binges, she made herself pay even more, with hours and hours at the gym, and existing only on coffee and yogurt for days.
Just before she enrolls at Columbia University, Hannah and her family move to Hoboken, New Jersey, and she gets a job scooping gelato for a brooding chef. She winds up in an all-consuming, dissatisfying, psychologically destructive relationship, which wreaks havoc with her head, her heart, and her self-esteem. It begins a pattern of these relationships, which only serve to exacerbate her growing battle with food and her self-image.
She gets a job as a hostess at New York's famed Picholine restaurant. While constantly worrying about how she looks and whether her clothes fit her takes a toll, she is around some of the world's best food, and she starts to truly appreciate the finest cheeses and other ingredients, all while her mind is making her believe she is fat and ugly.
"Not eating makes me feel powerful, but my goal is never to starve. I am obsessed with food. I read the new food blogs, every article and recipe in Gourmet and all of the cookbooks stacked in the Picholine office. My goal is to be so thin that it's okay, necessary, that I eat. Once I get to some magical, impossible land of skinnydom, I will stop starving and start some living."
Hannah's struggles with her body, her appetite, her unbridled love of food, and her poor self-worth make her an easy target romantically, and she winds up in poor relationship after poor relationship, with men who are emotionally unavailable, too old for her, and/or dealing with their own problems and addictions. She starts to realize she can never recover and never reconcile her love of food until she begins to love herself, which is no mean feat.
Feast is a powerfully emotional account of one woman's battle to accept herself as she is, and realize she is so much more than her weight and self-image. The depths to which she sinks, physically and emotionally, hit home for me, as I've struggled with my weight and my self-worth for many years, and I, too, love food and love to explore different cuisines, despite my worry about the calorie and fat levels of what I'm eating.
While at times you may wonder why Hannah allows herself to be treated so poorly and why she can't seem to rise above her addiction, and you want to scream at her to show some backbone, to walk away from her mistakes and stop endangering herself. But at the same time, you see just what a toll her physical and emotional state has taken on her.
Howard is a tremendously engaging writer, and the fact that she juxtaposed descriptions of amazing culinary encounters with instances of emotional and physical trauma made the book poignant, real, and hunger-inducing. I enjoy memoirs that combine physical and emotional struggle with a favorite pastime, and even though this was difficult to read at times, I really enjoyed it and felt connected to her character.
Don't read this on an empty stomach or if you're feeling low about your appearance!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
"Life is big and scary. Food is constant, safe, dependable."
Growing up in Baltimore, Hannah Howard always loved and appreciated food—ethnic and gourmet specialties as well as comfort food. Her mother was always dieting, always trying to shed those stubborn pounds, and Hannah, who was always taller and more amply proportioned than her classmates, inherited those struggles. She wanted to be popular, to be pretty, to be able to wear different clothes, but she couldn't outrun her body type or her love of food.
As she grew tired of hating how she looked in the mirror, she began starving herself. When she didn't eat, even though she felt dizzy and incapable of physically making it through the days, she was more satisfied with herself. When she occasionally slipped, falling prey to immense food binges, she made herself pay even more, with hours and hours at the gym, and existing only on coffee and yogurt for days.
Just before she enrolls at Columbia University, Hannah and her family move to Hoboken, New Jersey, and she gets a job scooping gelato for a brooding chef. She winds up in an all-consuming, dissatisfying, psychologically destructive relationship, which wreaks havoc with her head, her heart, and her self-esteem. It begins a pattern of these relationships, which only serve to exacerbate her growing battle with food and her self-image.
She gets a job as a hostess at New York's famed Picholine restaurant. While constantly worrying about how she looks and whether her clothes fit her takes a toll, she is around some of the world's best food, and she starts to truly appreciate the finest cheeses and other ingredients, all while her mind is making her believe she is fat and ugly.
"Not eating makes me feel powerful, but my goal is never to starve. I am obsessed with food. I read the new food blogs, every article and recipe in Gourmet and all of the cookbooks stacked in the Picholine office. My goal is to be so thin that it's okay, necessary, that I eat. Once I get to some magical, impossible land of skinnydom, I will stop starving and start some living."
Hannah's struggles with her body, her appetite, her unbridled love of food, and her poor self-worth make her an easy target romantically, and she winds up in poor relationship after poor relationship, with men who are emotionally unavailable, too old for her, and/or dealing with their own problems and addictions. She starts to realize she can never recover and never reconcile her love of food until she begins to love herself, which is no mean feat.
Feast is a powerfully emotional account of one woman's battle to accept herself as she is, and realize she is so much more than her weight and self-image. The depths to which she sinks, physically and emotionally, hit home for me, as I've struggled with my weight and my self-worth for many years, and I, too, love food and love to explore different cuisines, despite my worry about the calorie and fat levels of what I'm eating.
While at times you may wonder why Hannah allows herself to be treated so poorly and why she can't seem to rise above her addiction, and you want to scream at her to show some backbone, to walk away from her mistakes and stop endangering herself. But at the same time, you see just what a toll her physical and emotional state has taken on her.
Howard is a tremendously engaging writer, and the fact that she juxtaposed descriptions of amazing culinary encounters with instances of emotional and physical trauma made the book poignant, real, and hunger-inducing. I enjoy memoirs that combine physical and emotional struggle with a favorite pastime, and even though this was difficult to read at times, I really enjoyed it and felt connected to her character.
Don't read this on an empty stomach or if you're feeling low about your appearance!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
March 22, 2018
Hmmm...this was less a rating than a compromise. In the first few chapters, I was captivated. "Yes, exactly that," I thought of the perfect descriptions of food, of eating automatically, compulsively, and the loathing of self and body that follows. The inside look at restaurants and restaurant people interested me enough to hold my attention. Toward the end, I had grown weary of the repetition of poor relationship choices and was counting pages left to just have it finished.
A lot to like, but not everything I wanted it to be.
A lot to like, but not everything I wanted it to be.
March 4, 2018
Depressing
Yikes. This was excruciating. Short little (maybe?) sentences, and weird run on sentences filled this kindle first read. This is unfortunately a memoir about a sad little rich girl with an eating disorder. She continuously explains the obvious, but on the flipside, throws a million new people into or out of the story with no explanation. It reads like talking to a condescending teenager. Maybe that's acceptable because it is a memoir?
Yikes. This was excruciating. Short little (maybe?) sentences, and weird run on sentences filled this kindle first read. This is unfortunately a memoir about a sad little rich girl with an eating disorder. She continuously explains the obvious, but on the flipside, throws a million new people into or out of the story with no explanation. It reads like talking to a condescending teenager. Maybe that's acceptable because it is a memoir?
January 11, 2024
Hi Hannahleh.
I do not think I am your typical demographic, but your book has been read…by me, one of those older gentlemen you refer to.
There IS something about older men, as you state, but I do not know what it is.
I forgot.
So, young lady, let’s share.
I was looking in my diary and I noticed that about eight months ago I weighed 148 pounds, as I witnessed it in my notes. Heresy. I lost about seventeen pounds, and I am proud of myself.
No one else is aware of it but as I am diminishing, I am moving to another state in the country. Like one of those, you spent time in.
I knew no one in this state, like you.
Forward…
This morning, after my run, I stepped on the scale, Hannah (a favorite name, btw).
I weigh 121 pounds.
And I still cannot look at myself in the mirror.
When I sneak a peek at myself in the gym while I am doing crunches or lifting five-pound weights, I am disgusted at who looks back at me.
The man I see is a short guy who is still unquestionably heavy, even obese.
Hannahlita (another nickname for you), I then punch my weight into an app on the phone.
It says my body fat is 20.2.
Normal. But I would rather be thin.
And so, it goes.
An old man’s battle for control of something, anything, in this absurd life we all live.
Nu ?
Mamaleh, I loved your story and the way you told it.
You are adorable (I have yet to see a picture of you, but it is not essential).
You are a doppelganger.
Yah, mon. I cooked in the city and worked with those current celebrities that were once unknown chefs enjoying their anonymity while flinging hot butter at the subordinates who messed up on the line.
And I lived in that tall building in Philly beside a semi-outdoor restaurant. I have dined at Starr’s venues before New Yorkers even considered him. Or Philadelphia.
Hoboken. Been there, done that. How does that Joni Mitchell song go? “Paved yesterday's industry and put up a restaurant and a bank, and yes…a parking lot.”
All still fascinates me how I did not learn in high school American history. I had heard of Benny Franklin (the dude was a jazz musician?) and the Constitution and the cracked Bell but it ends there. Philly served up my prior scholastic ignorance on a transparent platter for all to witness. Skipped all those American history classes.
I have more important things to consider. Like calories.
I hate that damn quotidian Dannon Greek yogurt. But for eighty calories I cannot yet find a better option. (a critical update; a new yogurt yields sixty calories)
Other snacks I buy proportionally sized. Like almonds, popcorn, and occasionally any snacks born from plants.
But enough about you and your book, let’s continue speaking about me.
Okay, I am switching into a marketing mode. Let me just take off my asymmetrical cape.
Hannahmeister.
You did a fantastic job. I endorse your book.
Okay, so ignore the stars. No stars here.
I cannot compare you, as a reader, to, let's invoke Turgenev, Cervantes, Kafka (I have read them all but who knows what they are talking about?) You and I are skin and the standard number of bones, but those authors are just skeletons, now. Philosophy. Ha.
Nevertheless, a thoroughly enjoyable experience, your story. Ach, the half-sour pickles (zero fat, zero calories) we get ourselves into. Your weight went up and then down and then north and again south.
I do not lessen the gravitas you experienced with humor. Neither do you (a compliment).
It's like life. Some good days, some bad ones.
Now, I want to finish the third part of a banana I started two days ago.
Should I?
Yes.
I do not think I am your typical demographic, but your book has been read…by me, one of those older gentlemen you refer to.
There IS something about older men, as you state, but I do not know what it is.
I forgot.
So, young lady, let’s share.
I was looking in my diary and I noticed that about eight months ago I weighed 148 pounds, as I witnessed it in my notes. Heresy. I lost about seventeen pounds, and I am proud of myself.
No one else is aware of it but as I am diminishing, I am moving to another state in the country. Like one of those, you spent time in.
I knew no one in this state, like you.
Forward…
This morning, after my run, I stepped on the scale, Hannah (a favorite name, btw).
I weigh 121 pounds.
And I still cannot look at myself in the mirror.
When I sneak a peek at myself in the gym while I am doing crunches or lifting five-pound weights, I am disgusted at who looks back at me.
The man I see is a short guy who is still unquestionably heavy, even obese.
Hannahlita (another nickname for you), I then punch my weight into an app on the phone.
It says my body fat is 20.2.
Normal. But I would rather be thin.
And so, it goes.
An old man’s battle for control of something, anything, in this absurd life we all live.
Nu ?
Mamaleh, I loved your story and the way you told it.
You are adorable (I have yet to see a picture of you, but it is not essential).
You are a doppelganger.
Yah, mon. I cooked in the city and worked with those current celebrities that were once unknown chefs enjoying their anonymity while flinging hot butter at the subordinates who messed up on the line.
And I lived in that tall building in Philly beside a semi-outdoor restaurant. I have dined at Starr’s venues before New Yorkers even considered him. Or Philadelphia.
Hoboken. Been there, done that. How does that Joni Mitchell song go? “Paved yesterday's industry and put up a restaurant and a bank, and yes…a parking lot.”
All still fascinates me how I did not learn in high school American history. I had heard of Benny Franklin (the dude was a jazz musician?) and the Constitution and the cracked Bell but it ends there. Philly served up my prior scholastic ignorance on a transparent platter for all to witness. Skipped all those American history classes.
I have more important things to consider. Like calories.
I hate that damn quotidian Dannon Greek yogurt. But for eighty calories I cannot yet find a better option. (a critical update; a new yogurt yields sixty calories)
Other snacks I buy proportionally sized. Like almonds, popcorn, and occasionally any snacks born from plants.
But enough about you and your book, let’s continue speaking about me.
Okay, I am switching into a marketing mode. Let me just take off my asymmetrical cape.
Hannahmeister.
You did a fantastic job. I endorse your book.
Okay, so ignore the stars. No stars here.
I cannot compare you, as a reader, to, let's invoke Turgenev, Cervantes, Kafka (I have read them all but who knows what they are talking about?) You and I are skin and the standard number of bones, but those authors are just skeletons, now. Philosophy. Ha.
Nevertheless, a thoroughly enjoyable experience, your story. Ach, the half-sour pickles (zero fat, zero calories) we get ourselves into. Your weight went up and then down and then north and again south.
I do not lessen the gravitas you experienced with humor. Neither do you (a compliment).
It's like life. Some good days, some bad ones.
Now, I want to finish the third part of a banana I started two days ago.
Should I?
Yes.
March 25, 2018
As a woman who has an eating disorder this book was an incredibly disappointing. Hannah is obsessed with food, okay great. She thinks about food all the time. She wants to be skinny and hates her body. There is no actual substance to the character nor the book nor does there actually seem to be a point to the book. In one paragraph Hannah is raped and the author goes from food to rape to food again. At no time is there any introspective look at how she feels or how this hurts her it just happens and she goes on to have fairly normal, if rather immature, relationships. It is like it never happens. I would have actually thought the book was written by a man. Even the eating disorder is written by someone who comes across as if they have never really dealt with the struggle of anorexia. The entire book is garbage. It was one of my free kindle monthly books, thank God I didn't pay for it. DON'T BOTHER!
January 20, 2018
It would be simple and true to say that FEAST was delicious, that I devoured it in one sitting. Howard's writing about food is a sensual pleasure, and her stories about coming of age in New York and the maniacal pace of restaurant life are vivid and engrossing. But particular to this book, in this moment, is the way that Howard represents the treatment of women in the restaurant world. Simmering under the surface of this memoir about food, eating disorders, and love is Howard's candid portrayal of sexual harassment, rape, and the inequalities women face in the restaurant industry as a matter of course—and the very real effects of this treatment on women's psyche. This book is a pageturner, an absolute delight—and an important contribution to the #metoo movement.
January 19, 2018
Just finished reading an advance copy of Feast. Devoured it, actually. Author, Hannah Howard is a magnificent storyteller.
She took me on a journey inside her head, her heart, and bared her soul with such compelling generosity. Her eerily accurate descriptions of the self destructive thinking and false perceptions that come with anorexia and body dysmorphia were so much like my own experiences with these insidious disorders, it was strangely comforting.
I binged with her, purged with her, loved with her, hurt for her, rooted for her and came away feeling incredibly proud of her. Her voice is both timely and timeless, and I look forward to hearing more from her!
She took me on a journey inside her head, her heart, and bared her soul with such compelling generosity. Her eerily accurate descriptions of the self destructive thinking and false perceptions that come with anorexia and body dysmorphia were so much like my own experiences with these insidious disorders, it was strangely comforting.
I binged with her, purged with her, loved with her, hurt for her, rooted for her and came away feeling incredibly proud of her. Her voice is both timely and timeless, and I look forward to hearing more from her!
March 6, 2018
Just finished this last night (I got it from Amazon First Reads on Thursday and flew through it). This book is about Hannah, a high schooler and then a college student and then a freshly-graduated-newly-employed girl who is obsessed with food. She struggles with binging and purging, anorexia, codependency, self worth, and addiction. This book is beautiful and raw and heartbreaking and so, so real. Her writing flows like currents in a river- I was along for the ride and couldn’t stop reading.
**[Trigger warnings: eating disorders and sexual harassment]**
**[Trigger warnings: eating disorders and sexual harassment]**
January 23, 2018
Feast is a revelation for anyone who's ever looked in the mirror. Whether it was a physical mirror or a metaphorical mirror, whether you liked what you saw or you didn't, this powerful debut resonates. Howard is courageous and lyrical, her words in turn comforting and heartbreaking. Feast is full of giggles when you need them and goosebumps when you least expect them. I made the mistake of starting the book before bed and didn't fall sleep until I'd finished it—Feast is a book to devour.
April 24, 2021
The title and cute illustration on the cover might make you think you're going to read about a charming foodie. You're not. This is the horrifying story of young girl, who struggles with self-esteem, resulting in an eating disorder and a string of awful relationships with men. All of this is discussed far more than food and with not at all enough depth. It feels quite hopeless and ugly. I quit at 40 percent. I mean, who's mother allows them get a breast reduction in high school for totally cosmetic reasons? And we're just going to skim over that shit?
March 2, 2018
Not a good read
Self created angst by a young woman who doesn't have a clue about what life can really dishes out to those who aren't raised by two educated and successful parents who love her. Give me a break.
Self created angst by a young woman who doesn't have a clue about what life can really dishes out to those who aren't raised by two educated and successful parents who love her. Give me a break.
April 10, 2018
I really struggle reviewing memoirs because if I don't love it, it feels like a criticism of someone's life rather than the story they wrote.
That said, I just didn't love this. The writing was choppy and the story wasn't engaging. I loved the details about the food and the food service industry (Seriously was drooling while reading some bits of this). But the lack of introspection and the bizarre way she references her rape almost coldly and offhandedly, only to never mention it again, made it difficult to really relate to her story or feel anything for her. The ending was awkward and forced--for as much time as she spent on mundane details throughout the book, I wish she had spent a little more time on the ending.
That said, I just didn't love this. The writing was choppy and the story wasn't engaging. I loved the details about the food and the food service industry (Seriously was drooling while reading some bits of this). But the lack of introspection and the bizarre way she references her rape almost coldly and offhandedly, only to never mention it again, made it difficult to really relate to her story or feel anything for her. The ending was awkward and forced--for as much time as she spent on mundane details throughout the book, I wish she had spent a little more time on the ending.
December 12, 2018
Beautifully written
Hannah's writing kept me turning page after page, and her honest discussion of eating disorders was eye opening. I could see the city with her eyes and taste the marvelous meals she describes. A wonderful personal journey and love letter to exquisite food.
Hannah's writing kept me turning page after page, and her honest discussion of eating disorders was eye opening. I could see the city with her eyes and taste the marvelous meals she describes. A wonderful personal journey and love letter to exquisite food.
March 2, 2018
Stunningly lovely, sad yet hopeful
I made the mistake of downloading this before work, reading the first chapter as I brushed my teeth and got dressed, falling into the writing style immediately. I read a few pages while filling my car with gas, and tucked beneath a blanket on the couch as soon as I got home to read the rest in one breathless rush, binging on the author's words with delight.
She writes with poetic beauty of her love for food, describing everything with such mouthwatering adoration that it left me hungry for things I normally wouldn't consider eating. Her lust for life and romance is equally strong, hoping for each kiss and moment that followed to fill her like a fine dining experience. Her hope and letdowns are beautifully, heartbreakingly transparent, leaving the reader longing for a happy ending and peace for her.
I've read many books on addiction and recovery, and easily count this as one of the finest. From a psychological standpoint, it explains the ups and downs of binge eating and anorexia without reservation, openly. From an emotional standpoint, it saddens me that someone who finds such beauty in any and every type of cheese - hard, soft, smelly and more - had such difficulty finding beauty in herself.
I absolutely recommend this book and author, and wish her peace (and more amazing cheese) along the rest of her journey.
I made the mistake of downloading this before work, reading the first chapter as I brushed my teeth and got dressed, falling into the writing style immediately. I read a few pages while filling my car with gas, and tucked beneath a blanket on the couch as soon as I got home to read the rest in one breathless rush, binging on the author's words with delight.
She writes with poetic beauty of her love for food, describing everything with such mouthwatering adoration that it left me hungry for things I normally wouldn't consider eating. Her lust for life and romance is equally strong, hoping for each kiss and moment that followed to fill her like a fine dining experience. Her hope and letdowns are beautifully, heartbreakingly transparent, leaving the reader longing for a happy ending and peace for her.
I've read many books on addiction and recovery, and easily count this as one of the finest. From a psychological standpoint, it explains the ups and downs of binge eating and anorexia without reservation, openly. From an emotional standpoint, it saddens me that someone who finds such beauty in any and every type of cheese - hard, soft, smelly and more - had such difficulty finding beauty in herself.
I absolutely recommend this book and author, and wish her peace (and more amazing cheese) along the rest of her journey.
April 23, 2018
I enjoyed the parts where she wrote about food — her obviously deep understanding of and affection for it across the foodservice industry juxtaposed with her personal struggles with food addiction were really interesting and mostly well-written. Her college scene, well-done and interesting. I don’t understand why it devolved into what felt like a lengthy character assessment of her addict ex and his issues, especially given her own involvement in a 12 step program. Why call out AA by name and not OA? Why are you reading and working out of the AA big book and drinking with no explanation of why this is ok? This could be so confusing for a reader who has no idea about these fellowships, and landed all the way wrong for me. I’ve read many recovery memoirs, but not much is out there in this context about food. This one does a good job describing the disease, but not so much the getting well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2018
This was a KindleFirst pick.
Dreadful read. Run on sentences and terse verbiage made for an insufferably long book that would have been better served in essay format. Because of my stubborn nature, I slogged through to the end--taking a hiatus to read something actually worth my time and energy.
Author makes reference to 'Kitchen Confidential' by Anthony Bourdain, and this book seems to be a knock-off of the same idea. Personal demons, issues with people in the restaurant industry, ill-fated loves and lost--very similar to 'Kitchen Confidential' without the celebrity.
Would not recommend.
Dreadful read. Run on sentences and terse verbiage made for an insufferably long book that would have been better served in essay format. Because of my stubborn nature, I slogged through to the end--taking a hiatus to read something actually worth my time and energy.
Author makes reference to 'Kitchen Confidential' by Anthony Bourdain, and this book seems to be a knock-off of the same idea. Personal demons, issues with people in the restaurant industry, ill-fated loves and lost--very similar to 'Kitchen Confidential' without the celebrity.
Would not recommend.
April 20, 2018
There is a lot to like in this honest, well-written coming-of-age memoir set in the world of high-end restaurants, eating disorder, and poorly chosen older lovers. It's a challenge to weave these disparate topics into a natural story. Sometimes the effort falters, but the book as a whole succeeds in presenting a young life fully lived and artfully reflected upon.
It's also a challenge to write in an original way about success in a 12-step program, because the success of these approaches depends so much on an established, shared set of principles and values. Still, I appreciated Howard's willingness to include that part of her story, because it might offer an invitation to others struggling with the terrible effects of eating disorders.
I recorded a 25-minute interview with Hannah Howard for this week's episode of http://thekindlechronicles.com . We had a lot to talk about, including our shared experience of earning an MFA at the Bennington Writing Seminars. She is a powerful, emerging writer who has already become a notable voice in the world of great food and recovery.
It's also a challenge to write in an original way about success in a 12-step program, because the success of these approaches depends so much on an established, shared set of principles and values. Still, I appreciated Howard's willingness to include that part of her story, because it might offer an invitation to others struggling with the terrible effects of eating disorders.
I recorded a 25-minute interview with Hannah Howard for this week's episode of http://thekindlechronicles.com . We had a lot to talk about, including our shared experience of earning an MFA at the Bennington Writing Seminars. She is a powerful, emerging writer who has already become a notable voice in the world of great food and recovery.
June 16, 2018
This was....uh, really bad. Cringeworthy, bad.
I was so intrigued by the story line and hopeful for a unique novel in this particular niche (foodie + ED). The potential for a great novel is there, but it fell completely flat. I am grasping for some redeeming qualities to give this book more than 1 star, but there are none. I pushed through and read the whole book despite wanting to quit reading numerous times. The writing is SO bad and the main character was impossible to connect with. There are run on sentences, characters that don't make sense, an incomplete and confusing storyline and the novel lacked any depth whatsoever. It was awful, do not recommend.
I was so intrigued by the story line and hopeful for a unique novel in this particular niche (foodie + ED). The potential for a great novel is there, but it fell completely flat. I am grasping for some redeeming qualities to give this book more than 1 star, but there are none. I pushed through and read the whole book despite wanting to quit reading numerous times. The writing is SO bad and the main character was impossible to connect with. There are run on sentences, characters that don't make sense, an incomplete and confusing storyline and the novel lacked any depth whatsoever. It was awful, do not recommend.
April 4, 2018
I didn't enjoy the writing style - it felt incomplete. The story also had no depth in my opinion. Everything felt too Tumblr-esque of what the site thinks of eating disorders and the people around them. And I've faced my share of issues and my families reactions, yet none seem as bad as the mother's or even how the main character describes it.
Maybe the book would get better, but I gave it 50% and finally decided to cut my losses.
Maybe the book would get better, but I gave it 50% and finally decided to cut my losses.
May 7, 2018
This story had a lot of potentially strong elements, but it feel short in execution. The author didn't seem certain about the story she wanted to tell and so it meandered from one event to another without much overall plot or secondary character development. There were some good moments in this, but it was disappointing overall.
April 1, 2018
Raw and heartfelt. A satisfying memoir of hunger and fulfillment, good days and bad, love and self-loathing.
May 23, 2019
A memoir of feast and famine
At first I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading as I saw myself in as much as the desire to look model thin with a farmer's body but it turned into a lovely story beginning with Hannah in her Senior year of high school. We meet a Jewish girl with a working mother who finds cooking and feeding her family as relaxation and stress removal. Therefore Hannah loves her food but wants to be thin. She eats until she has devoured everything in sight then wishes she could purge but cannot. She is very unhappy with her weight then discovers she can basically drink nothing but diet coke and eat apples which turns into anorexia. We go thru college and then into the working world of fabulous New York restaurants and intoxicating foods. The writing is such that I can almost taste the food and cheeses not to mention the desserts. I enjoyed the ride and think you will as well.
At first I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading as I saw myself in as much as the desire to look model thin with a farmer's body but it turned into a lovely story beginning with Hannah in her Senior year of high school. We meet a Jewish girl with a working mother who finds cooking and feeding her family as relaxation and stress removal. Therefore Hannah loves her food but wants to be thin. She eats until she has devoured everything in sight then wishes she could purge but cannot. She is very unhappy with her weight then discovers she can basically drink nothing but diet coke and eat apples which turns into anorexia. We go thru college and then into the working world of fabulous New York restaurants and intoxicating foods. The writing is such that I can almost taste the food and cheeses not to mention the desserts. I enjoyed the ride and think you will as well.
August 9, 2018
I started the first hour of this randomly, then came back and finished in a day. The content of the story is important and needs to be discussed more freely. However the inner monologue of a young food lover who struggles with limits of that love, comes out in a very young voice. I appreciate the honesty and openness of Howard’s story, it is definitely one that I’m sure many young women will find approachable and relatable.
September 10, 2018
I felt some major issues were not addressed and felt myself almost skimming towards the end. Saying that interesting book that made me, at times, very hungry!
June 11, 2018
This was disappointing. An anorexic who turns into a bulimic and makes bad choices. I kept wanting it to become more engaging, there was a lesson to learn, it was an interesting peek, a very short peek, in to the culinary world.
March 8, 2018
I held off choosing Feast: True Love in and out of the Kitchen by Hannah Howard as my free Kindle first book due to longtime ongoing personal reasons: fighting with my own weight, a dislike of my own body, and mainly a fear that I would want to eat if I read great descriptions of food. Fortunately the other choices of the month didn't appeal to me and it was Feast or no feast at all.
I was stunned by the beauty of this memoir. The author's descriptions of her battles with anorexia, bulimia, and boyfriends ring vibrantly true. This book is poetic and completely worth reading, especially if you are female and have spent your life looking at models in beauty mags who have insanely perfect bodies, and wondering why you can't be like them.
Intense and gorgeous in its descriptions of olive oil, mushroom risotto, and various cheeses, Feast chronicles Hannah's life as a cook beginning with her teenage years. Always an overachiever, she never settles for second best education-wise or work-wise. However, in her own eyes, not for a moment is she beautiful, no matter how many men tell her she is.
Such is the heartbreak of the broken mirror through which a person with an eating disorder sees herself.
I am glad she is recovering.
This book is valuable and totally worth reading. I loved it.
I was stunned by the beauty of this memoir. The author's descriptions of her battles with anorexia, bulimia, and boyfriends ring vibrantly true. This book is poetic and completely worth reading, especially if you are female and have spent your life looking at models in beauty mags who have insanely perfect bodies, and wondering why you can't be like them.
Intense and gorgeous in its descriptions of olive oil, mushroom risotto, and various cheeses, Feast chronicles Hannah's life as a cook beginning with her teenage years. Always an overachiever, she never settles for second best education-wise or work-wise. However, in her own eyes, not for a moment is she beautiful, no matter how many men tell her she is.
Such is the heartbreak of the broken mirror through which a person with an eating disorder sees herself.
I am glad she is recovering.
This book is valuable and totally worth reading. I loved it.
November 18, 2019
A difficult read, and not necessarily a pleasant story. The author does not hide her bad experiences, warped thoughts, or unhealthy (abusive?) relationships. It foes not read like a novel, with carefully crafted scenes. It is overly expository, with few details left out, covering a massive time frame that can leave characterizations of her friends undeveloped and fuzzy. And still I could not stop reading.
Addiction and eating disorders can affect anyone; society's message for women to be thin and beautiful falls upon all women. Some are more susceptible to that message than others, but they are not weak for it, not the target of our disdain for not taking it to heart. This book shares what it's like to be trapped in that mindset.
It hurts my heart to read reviews blaming her for her problem, perpetuating the myth that it is a disorder only experienced by pretentious rich spoiled girls. Was she some of those things? Sure. That doesn't make her struggle less real or valid or worthy of compassion. And we readers do not have to agree with her life choices to have compassion.
Recovery from any addiction or mental disorder is hard and a life-long practice. I hope this book helps someone else who is young and feels unworthy for their body.
Addiction and eating disorders can affect anyone; society's message for women to be thin and beautiful falls upon all women. Some are more susceptible to that message than others, but they are not weak for it, not the target of our disdain for not taking it to heart. This book shares what it's like to be trapped in that mindset.
It hurts my heart to read reviews blaming her for her problem, perpetuating the myth that it is a disorder only experienced by pretentious rich spoiled girls. Was she some of those things? Sure. That doesn't make her struggle less real or valid or worthy of compassion. And we readers do not have to agree with her life choices to have compassion.
Recovery from any addiction or mental disorder is hard and a life-long practice. I hope this book helps someone else who is young and feels unworthy for their body.
April 2, 2018
Hannah's story is a familiar one. I haven't met a woman yet who says she never had an unhealthy relationship with food. The why is as varied as there are flavors of ice cream, and yet familiar: the desire to please, to be loved, to love, to find acceptance, to fill an emptiness. And yet Hannah's story is unlike many as her unhealthy relationship becomes something she can't control. Beautifully written and honest without being self absorbed, Hannah bravely shares her story. A story that has a few moments too difficult for her to spend much time with and so readers feel a bit like "that happened and we're just going to move on?" That said, Hannah's story is one I hope will be read by young women everywhere - as a warning and a source of comfort and encouragement. We all struggle with something. We all need love, especially self-love.
March 4, 2018
I binged on this food addiction recovery memoir up until suddenly I felt the need to purge.....which, now that I think about it, happens with me a lot when I read memoirs of any sort. I find myself thinking, "I'm not sure I would've told _that_" and/or, "Wow, how self-centered can one person be?" Um, well, duh Kristi, they're writing memoirs....Back to this book: It was very well-written and I did enjoy it up until the last few sections; I really wish I could give it 2.5 stars because of that stretch. I was fascinated by our author's descriptions of "the food world,” but I wouldn't recommend this book wholeheartedly to very many people -- just those interested in the behind-the-scenes workings of the restaurant industry and/or those who particularly like recovery memoirs.
April 3, 2018
I really struggled with this book. Why? I found a lot of it relatable. I’ve felt and thought many of the things she felt and thought. There was just a lot of it that I couldn’t get passed. I struggled with the writing style—it often felt as if I was reading a 17-year-old’s disjointed diary. She jumped around. I found myself having to reread pages and paragraphs to find out where she went and how she got there. I started to just gloss over her page long descriptions of food. How her ED affected her and her relationships was far more interesting than pages about her love of cheese. The topic of this memoir is important—I just feel like the execution was off. It definitely missed the mark for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 482 reviews