Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl: Cinnamon, Spice. So nice!

A short but sweet review of a book that is hard to put down...

A book that will appeal to a broad spectrum of tastes...is something you do not come across very often, and I certainly would have not come across this national bestseller if it was not by accident. How did it come to me? It was going to be scrapped in the charity bookstore I volunteer in. An old copy with brown pages and something spilled over the back corner. Something originally oozy and dark, maybe syrup, maybe coffee, who knows.

Ruth was born in 1948 and was brought up in Greenwich Village. Her father was a typographer and a German-Jewish refugee. Ernst was married to Miriam, who was American-Jewish. As a young lady, Ruth was taken and deposited at a French-speaking boarding school in Montreal by her mother and also attended the University of Michigan, studying and achieving a degree in sociology in 1968. She married her first husband Douglas Hollis after meeting him at that time. Ruth then studied and gained an M.A. in art history from the same university.
This book heats you up from the beginning...

We see so much warmth in this book. Not only in Ruth’s love affair with food but also in her early understanding of what life can dish up and we see her empathy for others.

One of my favourite lines comes in the first chapter and describes Ruth's concerns about her mother's cooking and the possibility mother could end up poisoning guests.

“Her friends seemed surprisingly unaware that they took their lives in their hands each time they ate with us”.

This is an understatement. We hear about her mother’s bargain beef and sea urchins. It really is a real-life drama lived by a young lady whose insights into her mother's mental health show us a passionate, caring young lady who was always heading for the stars with her beautiful yet at times hilarious life that also finds Ruth in some pretty tricky life situations.

I had to read it twice. As if the self-biography wasn’t enough on its own this well-written life story incorporates recipes that you want to cook. The reader is taken on a journey from Greenwich Village, Michigan, also California to Europe and later Christmas in Italia. The latter story was crafted so well that I had to read it twice just to see the glorious events again in my mind's eye. Wishing I had been there.

A reflection of the times maybe?
The early adult years of Ruth's life at college and university reflect the times and how racial equality was still something most people read about but had no thoughts of at all. To think that late in the 1960s those humans with black skin would still be asked to take the service elevator might be surprising to some, but sadly an everyday occurrence to those who faced racism, ignorance, and hate for no reason.

I wondered if Ruth's father's journey as a Jewish immigrant had given her insight beyond her years. I get this, if this was the case, as from my own childhood, having a name that was foreign put you at the back of the queue when the netball teams were picked, and in most things to be honest. In the end, you found friends in everyone who was “different” and in that found genuine companions.
So, with Christmas not far around the corner, I would say if you love food and traveling, ask for this book or send it to those who love the same.

It is more than cinnamon apple dumplings; it is a fine feast that will be staying on my bookshelf permanently.

All artwork is protected. All content © 07/09/23 S. Lawrence/Vukomanovic. Permission must be sought to reproduce any image or content

See me on Medium here

My Youtube Channel here that covers films about narcissistic abuse and helpful films to help you go forward in life.

@SonyaTiggy