Kitchen Chinese: A Novel about Food, Family, and Finding Yourself - Softcover

Mah, Ann

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061771279 ISBN 13: 9780061771279

Publisher: William Morrow & Company, 2010

Synopsis

"Ann Mah's Kitchen Chinese is a delicious debut novel, seasoned with just the right balance of humor and heart, and sprinkled with fascinating cultural tidbits."
--Claire Cook, bestselling author of Must Love Dogs

Kitchen Chinese, Ann Mah's funny and poignant first novel about a young Chinese-American woman who travels to Beijing to discover food, family, and herself is a delight--complete with mouth-watering descriptions of Asian culinary delicacies, from Peking duck and Mongolian hot pot to the colorful, lesser known Ants in a Tree that will delight foodies everywhere. Reminiscent of Elizabeth Gilbert's runaway bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, Mah's tale of clashing cultures, rival siblings, and fine dining is an unforgettable, unexpectedly sensual reading experience--the story of one woman's search for identity and purpose in an exotic and faraway land.

About this title

Product Description:

Pub Date: 2010-02-09 Pages: 368 Language: English Publisher:.. HarperCollins US Isabelle Lee thinks she knows everything about Chinese cuisine After all. during her Chinese-American childhood. she ate it every day Isabelle may speak only kitchen Chinese -the familial chatter learned at her mothers knee-but she understands the language of food. Now. in the wake of a career-ending catastrophe. shes ready for a change-so she takes off for Beijing to stay with her older sister. Claire . whom shes never really known. and finds a job writing restaurant reviews for an expat magazine. In the midst of her extreme culture shock. and the more she comes to learn about her sisters own secrets. Isabelle cant help but wonder whether coming to China was a mistake... or an extraordinary chance to find out who she really is.

Review:

"Ann Mah's richly detailed Kitchen Chinese is humorous enough to make you laugh out loud, and so delicious you are sure to begin craving Peking duck and dim sum. A true tale of reinventing oneself in a new and foreign world."--Patricia Wells, author of Vegetable Harvest and We'll Always Have Paris... and Provence

"With a light, self-deprecating touch, Ann Mah portrays the quirks, pleasures, and surprises of life as a young Chinese-American woman finding her way in an alien motherland."--Jen Lin-Liu, author of Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China

"Splendid....Warm and humorous."--Romantic Times

"Suffused with humor, genuine warmth, and mouth-watering culinary descriptions, Kitchen Chinese is, first and foremost, about the adventure of self-discovery."--Irina Reyn, author of What Happened to Anna K.

"A story of how we find and nourish ourselves in unexpected ways and places, so delicious that I took breaks from reading only to dash to the phone and order Chinese."--Rachel DeWoskin, author of Foreign Babes in Beijing and Repeat After Me

"[A] super sharp debut....A refreshing and fun narrative, helped along by a fantastic heroine whose insights into modern China and the expatriate experience will intrigue readers. It's a great start for a writer with much promise."--Publishers Weekly

"Ann Mah's Kitchen Chinese is a delicious debut novel, seasoned with just the right balance of humor and heart, and sprinkled with fascinating cultural tidbits. Read thoroughly. Share with friends."--Claire Cook, bestselling author of The Wildwater Walking Club and Must Love Dogs

"The vibrant depiction of Beijing, lush descriptions of sumptuous Chinese meals, and Isabelle's struggle with how others perceive her distinguish Mah's first novel."--Booklist on Kitchen Chinese

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0061771279
• ISBN 13: 9780061771279
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368