First of all, I must say that the Amazon requirement that you label this book for their algorithm is offensive. That said, this book defies all the labels I was required to put on it.
Describe the mood: There are hopeful moments. Moments when you feel that two characters will connect and become more fully human. But it is also dark when something happens, as in real life, where the connection doesn't occur, and there is some suspense in wondering what will become of this person after such an unfair life.
Thoughtful, oh most definately. The characters are so human and therefore complex, that the thoughts just raced through my mind. Thoughts like, "But why couldn't she do better, try harder, be nicer?" "He doesn't have to to that self destructive thing." "Wow, what a creep."
Nostalgia seems to be the one that has caused most of the bad reviews. Some people were expecting a trip back in time to when things appeared to be much better. Well, if that is what you want, this book is not for you. Just because there is a lot of talking about cooking and it includes recipes, does not mean it is all fudge brownies. But there is a State Fair!
This is a book for serious, literary readers. If you love being drawn into the world of complex characters working on some really hard issues, this is your book. And the writing is wonderful. Not so much the turn of a new phrase, but the restraint practiced by the author in creating the characters and scenes. Not a word wasted, and no padding. Thank you, Mr Stradal.

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KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST by J. Ryan Stradal revolves around Eva Louise Thorvald, the only child from the brief marriage of a chef and a sommelier. The reader meets Eva as an infant, follows up with her as a preteen, catches a glimpse of her during her teen years, and then finishes the reader's relationship with her as Eva settles into her 20s. Stradal tells Eva's story in a manner reminiscent of a short story collection, and with each chapter she is viewed largely through the eyes of people whose lives she touches as she navigates the world. As one would expect from a character with a "once-in-a-generation palate," Eva's interactions with others are largely food-focused, and the author happily includes a few recipes for those inclined to try out the food that sounds so delicious on the page.

KITCHENS is a beautifully written bit of fiction that manages to make the reader pause and think about the meaning of family, the importance of community and friends, and the role food plays in our lives. It somehow does all of that without being overbearing and stuffy. For a time I wanted the entire book to be completely from Eva's perspective, but I think something would have been lost if the author had gone that route. Twenty-something-Eva is a mysterious and elusive character, and the author's method added to that. As I finished KITCHENS, I was left wanting more of Eva and her food--much like the characters in the book.

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This linked collection of stories was an absolute joy to read. J Ryan Stradal hasn't just created a little universe for this book, he's created a family of characters, which at times can be a much more difficult task. What's the difference? While making a universe within a book, it's important to have events, locations, and changes of power linked within the in order to create the 'illusion' to the reader. But what the author did here was create a universe of people, a 'family' of people related by blood and not, with an extremely deft hand. What's important is that this is not a book bogged down by exposition, but something you tear through, learning a little more through subtle allusions and callbacks. It makes sense that his background is in screenwriting, because he's incorporated the excellent mechanic of informing the reader of the exposition without SAYING it. Instead, a reader will have full knowledge of an intricate web of connections without feeling like they had to read through a Tolkien-esque lineage of characters. It may seem like an obvious thing to incorporate, but it's an important aspect I've seen ignored again and again in novels. Such a thing is essential when creating a screenplay, in which you only have 30-45 minutes to tell what you need to.

The mechanics are at the heart of the stories, but the soul is what really brings this book together. Stradal perfectly captures the complicated personalities of midwestern folk: the blue-collar restaurant workers, the personally oblivious obsessives, the no-nonsense Lutheran housewives. But he doesn't necessarily satirize them or try to paint characterizes. He presents them with a relatable simplicity, highlighting that these people don't just fit in the box we would like them to, and he doesn't blame them for that. He presents them, warts and all, walking us through their logic and hypocrisies, their mistakes and triumphs, their pride and their sadness. The result is a book full of characters that may be very different from your own life experience, but feel intimately connected with as people. Like any good writer, he has found a shortcut to the reader's empathy and simply illuminated the path.

In addition to these things, the story is heartwarming, but not unrealistic. Their is a lot of the good old-fashioned midwestern humbleness we'd come to expect from the stereotypes we've been lead to believe. But there is a lot of blood, strife, and sadness along the way, which is just as important to highlight. The thing that he nailed in this book was that that midwestern, god-fearing kindness like to project isn't a result of an easy, saccharine life. It's a by-product of a life filled with loss and bitter weather, where people learn to appreciate life, offering what they can because they know exactly how bad it can get.

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This was extremely well written. I can’t stress that enough. It is the story of a woman - a story that starts when she’s a baby and sees her into adulthood. But what is amazing is that as the main character.... she isn’t really. She’s more like the main attraction. Each chapter is from a different person’s (third person) viewpoint and in some way Eva enters their life - sometimes only briefly. But through everyone’s stories, we see Eva grow up. It was a fascinating way to read a story.
For personal reasons, I found it depressing. And as a reader, I felt anxious to know what happens to the characters. You get the gist but not the full story for everyone. There’s a lot you have to leave up to your imagination and reflect on. This would be a great book to discuss with others.
Again, excellent writing.

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So this is unlike any other book I have read. It tells the story of Eva Thorvald from her parents meeting through to her adulthood and her becoming a celebrated chef. However, apart from 1 chapter, each chapter tells the story of another character who has some connection to Eva. Whilst this is not an unusual way to tell a story, the difference here was that many of these characters have very loose links to Eva and in some chapters she is hardly mentioned – we may only get a glimpse of what is going on with her in the background to the other characters story.

However, towards the end of the book some of the characters are brought back into the story and I found it quite difficult to remember who they all were and how they were connected to Eva. The ending of the book felt unsatisfactory and without wanting to give away any spoilers I was left wandering if the gathering was a coincidence or whether it had been planned by Eva.

As a character, Eva seemed too perfect. She seemed to glide through life getting what she wanted and the other characters seemed to hold her in some god like reverence. I didn’t particularly find myself caring about her or rooting for her.

Through the book and the different characters stories there were a lot of cliffhangers and these never got resolved. In some cases you could fill in the gaps with your own imagination of what happened but in others I really would have liked to have known what happened to the character.

It was an interesting snippet into multiple lives centred in and around the Minnesota area but unfortunately the snippets were not quite long enough to leave me satisfied at the end of the book.

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I am unsure how to review this book. Each chapter of the book reads like a short story and is told from a different characters point of view so we hear Eva's story through a variety of family, friends and even a boyfriend. The stories in themselves are well written and interesting enough. However Eva is the only character that appears in every story and in some stories she has almost no role at all. This means we struggle to paint a complete picture of her character which makes the blurb of the book quite misleading. Certain characters that appear in the early chapters reappear later on as minor characters which I found confusing because I had forgotten who they were. As few characters appear more than once there is also little character development which was kind of disappointing. I also found the ending of the final story quite a let down as well. There is some good writing here and perhaps if told in a different way may have proved to be a more interesting book.

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I really enjoyed - Kitchens of....Beautiful writing, Funny,sweet with a great dollop of chilli. I'm a sucker for recipes in books. I found the whole heirloom stuff really funny, especially having been in L.A and discovered what a buzz word it is there. The Lutefish too, brought to mind Lake Wobegone. The book conjured up many sensorial memories. Great characters and the bittersweet ending. Basically, loved it. Just brought 4 as gifts for friends.

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One of the best books I have read in a long time and one that has been given as a gift to family members with an interest in food. The descriptions and storyline will ring true with many chefs. I rarely highlight quotes or lines in books but I have marked many noteworthy lines Here is one of my favourites which resonates with anyone who has worked long hours in a job: "She looked like a shorter, wider Hillary Clinton, but with the posture and attitude of someone fifty-eight hours into a sixty-hour workweek."

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The writing is good. Phrases are well-turned. And I loved the broken, hurting characters in the first half of the novel. Unfortunately, the main plotline went ridiculously ostentatious and veered out of hand to the point where I didn't like the main character by the end. But in fairness (SPOILER) a main character who plants corn in a field four years before she plans to cook a gourmet meal nearby just so she could have the freshest corn possible is always going to irk me. It is possible I'm simply easy to rile, as I was also put off by the inclusion of recipes,which seemed an unnecessary gimmick. In summary, read this if you are a complete food snob--you'll love it. Otherwise, skip it and join me in hoping that the author devises a less irritating story next time.

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A fun read - interesting how the author weaves the tale of one woman through many perspectives

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This book had an excellent review in the Daily Mail and I was really looking forward to reading it. It was good, but not outstanding and is not one that will 'stay with me' if you know what I mean.

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A very different book but I was hooked. Enjoyable but I was a little disappointed with the ending

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Easy to read, not very meaty. Wouldn’t go out of my way to read it again. Somewhat enjoyable. Not much substance.

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Yet to be read. In queue on Kindle!

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thanks

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Absolutely loved this book in every way. It profoundly moved me. No exaggeration.

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A poor excuse to write recipes in a story that doesn't flow very well nor allow to you build any connections with the characters

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Funny, tragic, heartbreaking, sensuous - please read it!
Sorry I have finished it - want to read it all over again!

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excellent read