Renata > Recent Status Updates

A gorgeous read both for the strong portrayal of young love and the complexities of living in a war torn China also undergoing political revolution.

One of the things I enjoy in Latin American fiction is the element of magical realism. In this story of mother daughter relationships and feelings of belonging, themes of identity, and longing to be understood I just want to hug each woman and sit with them and enjoy a home cooked meal.

Initial first euphoric love of the book waned after a while. The book felt too didactic, too annoyingly predictable. But the writing is good, Mona grew in me more as I felt her interest in her father grow. I enjoy the authors way with words. Of course I love the art!

Loving her beautiful language which so vividly breathes life into the characters and this neighborhood. I feel like I have been transported into another time and place.

Fascinating and a great reminder of how many hurdles string women have had to jump, circumventing prejudices and bias accorded their gender.

Beautifully written. I find myself rereading sections and lingering over her use of language richly breathing life into the cast of characters. There is a feeling of warmth in these lives that rises above the poverty and challenges of reservation life.

Fabulous storytelling! I’m laughing throughout at her dry sense of humor and ability to portray Elizabeth Zott, her protagonist, with such tenderness as well as courageous abandon.

One can’t help but make connections between the events and thinking of Yalta with todays current tribulations in the Ukraine. Putin used much the same language that Stalin used.

Fascinating portrait of the three daughters; haunting in light of the current Ukraine crisis.

Haunting , makes the current Ukraine crisis feel frighteningly familiar.

Pure magic. I’m
Limiting myself to one essay a day from now on…not just to make the book last longer, but to truly savor each essay!

So entertaining. Just begs to be talked about while reading …and must be enjoying one of these history making beverages to savor their rich history!

The history your teachers neglected to teach you, in other words, the vital role key beverages played in creating not just our culture but making civilization just a bit more civilized. Read the first two sections on beer and wine and will gladly share my new ancient Egyptian toast “ Beer and bread” for the year.

Abandoned reading

Makes me want to hurry out and catch grasshoppers as I did as a child!

Happy to finally have begun this book. Feel like I’m in safe and trustworthy hands.

“In one other respect, I’m also my father’s son:we are both optimists. It is our nature to dwell upon our blessings. What’s given to us is more important than what’s withheld, or what’s given for a time and then taken away.”

“Every marriage, every family, has its mysteries.”

A delightful read, more humor than I recall in some of her other books. An intriguing mystery sets up the story.

This classic has been on my TBR for at least as many years as Edmond Dante’s was imprisoned and I’m having as good a time reading his rip roaring adventures as he had living them! Great fun

Quirky, laugh out loud funny, pure escapist reading with a heart. Perfect!