Pumpkin, Pumpkin: Folklore, History, Planting Hints and Good Eating

by Anne Copeland

Pumpkins are magical. They herald in the autumn; they fulfill our needs to create art related to the season and to celebrate it. We fill them with light to welcome others to our homes, and to provide the way from home to home as we gather treats for the season. We have all kinds of celebrations for them from competitions for the largest or best pumpkin to the best decorated pumpkins to pie baking and pie eating competitions. We listen in awe to their amazing history and laugh at their folklore. We begin to invite friends and relatives to luscious dinners featuring this wonderful orange treat. Pumpkins warm our hearts as the autumn begins to bring the chill air. We invite you into the welcoming pages of this book, and to fill your souls with all the good things you remember, and your stomachs with the most delightful pumpkin treats.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Cookbooks, Halloween

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2019

Reviews

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for sheer charm, though a little of that comes from hearing the author's voice in my mind, recollected from the "Cucurbitology" episode of the Ologies podcast. I recommend listening to that first (or possibly only, because the most interesting tidbits from this book are recounted there).

First and foremost, this is really a food book. Fully half its length is taken up by recipes (a couple of which were included twice in different categories). When you check the citations (yes, yay, there were some citations), most of the author's sources also revolve around food. E.g. Foods of our Forefathers; The Green Thumb Cookbook; Cooks, Gluttons, and Gourmets: A History of Cooking; Eating in America: A History. There's a couple horticulture and gardening books in there, plus the references for folklore...and I guess to be fair, it IS a food product first and foremost...but think of the history and growing tips as the long lead-in the recipes and you'll be happier.

The information is rather inelegantly delivered, with abrupt transitions and once a repeated twice-in-one-paragraph comment about the lack of refrigeration (and facile opining about maybe that's why they used so many spices). The folklore stories are served up as, basically, "here's a story I found interesting: [page of quoted text, twice in strong old timey AAVE]." Repeat. Repeat.

I notice that the vampire pumpkin/watermelon mythology didn't get a mention, and dulce de calabasas just snuck in at the very end, despite being a traditional holiday food for Dias de Los Muertos. But we DID get a list of pumpkin varieties that read like the blurbs from a seed catalog (no pictures).

All in all, I'm sad to say I didn't love this. I enjoyed it, but I kept wishing we had a little more scholarly and little less folksy charm, and slightly more polished writing. (Cough, "Pliny the ender" typo, cough, though really the aforementioned transitions between source grabs) And as much as I love a good history, I found myself wishing for just...more. More depth, more explanation, more cultural examples.

So good news, you don't have to be an obscure pumpkin nerd to enjoy this book. Gardeners and home cooks will be able to take advantage of all the growing, harvesting, processing, storing, and cooking tips.

[Katrina Rigsbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copeland is charming and endearing. Ologies got me to order this book and I have no regrets. If you love pumpkins and fall enthusiasm, this is the book for you.

[Danni Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is really more of a cookbook with a lengthy introduction. I was disappointed that a book which has been republished as recently as 2019 still included so much unchecked ethnocentrism, and it's really too bad because the folklore section could otherwise have been the most interesting part of the book. I appreciated the author's passion for this topic, but felt like it was better conveyed in her interview on the Ologies podcast than it was in this book.

[Aubree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked out this book after hearing the author as a guest on the Ologies podcast. It was much better to read after having listened to the episode and hearing the cute interview with the elderly author but unless you’re looking for pumpkin recipes the interview is probably all you need. This is essentially a cookbook with a long introduction that shares the history of pumpkins, including folklore surrounding them. The author also lists many many different varieties of pumpkins if you need helping choosing just which kind you want to grow.

[Tara L. Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read (the book is over half recipes and references) but fun nonetheless. Since this is a self-published work, it's meant for those who are pumpkin fanatics and not too worried about editing, style, or perfection. Go in like you're reading an account (and a recipe book) handed down by grans, generation after generation.

[Pumpkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful pumpkin themed book, with over 60% of it being various pumpkin recipes. I came into the book knowing that, and I was not let down. I now dream of pumpkins.

Though, sadly, there were quite a lot of editing mistakes. So I had to take a star off for that.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listen to an Ologies podcast with Copeland and fell in love with her. I had to get and read her book. The book was sweet and I could hear her voice in it but it left me wanting more on the folklore. Also it was 2/3 pumpkin recipes. Solid three stars.

[Kimber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting A LOT more from the history and folklore section in this book.

[BlueShutters. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing history of the mighty and magical pumpkin, along with recipes

[Karine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very wholesome. Short, since most of the book consists of recipes, but wholesome and enjoyable. I haven't tried many of the recipes yet, but the ones I have tried were great!

If you enjoyed this book, I encourage you to listen to the Pumpkin episode on the Ologies Podcast where you can hear the author talk about why she wrote the book and let her charm and love for pumpkins engulf you.

[Mandy Hobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars and only because the author is a delightful woman. The book itself was just okay, although some of the recipes look intriguing. I was hoping for more in-depth information about the history of pumpkins. I think it would be a very useful book if you plan on growing pumpkins and harvesting them for eating. HOWEVER I listened to Anne Copeland on an episode of the podcast Ologies with Alie Ward and she is one of the loveliest ladies I’ve ever heard interviewed anywhere. That alone makes this book deserve some respect.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book when I listened to the podcast ologies, specifically the episode about cucurbitology (aka the study of pumpkins). Copeland was so adorable that I wanted to get her book

I enjoyed the book, but I was surprised that the majority of the book was recipies. I don't really bake or cook pumpkins (or anything really), so it was a short read. I didn't mind though.

I totally reccomend it if you want to make anything with pumpkin or learn how to care for them.