Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Rating Explanation

Language: some mild swearing and profanity

Sexual Content: There are quite a few sensual references in the book. A couple drinks champagne in bed after becoming engaged. Claire, a busy mother of two, doesn’t want sex at the end of her tiring days and eventually her husband stops trying. He touches her breasts and says to their baby, “Those are mine.” A different character admits to her husband that she had an affair. Woman puts garlic between her breasts; a trail for her lover to follow. Chloe moves in with her boyfriend, vague talk about sex. One character poses naked for a sculptor; they have sex and there is a brief description of it.

Adult Themes: Extramarital affairs. Losing a wife to breast cancer. Co-habitation. Demands of parenthood creating strain on a marriage.

Synopsis

The eight students who arrive to take Lillian’s cooking class all come for different reasons. Some want to learn to cook, one comes to fulfill the wish of a loved one, and two come to strengthen their marriage, but they all learn much more than how to combine ingredients. As their separate stories unfold, the lives of the students begin to intertwine. Lillian is a very perceptive chef and teacher who not only creates tantalizing dishes, but also helps the students savor life, reclaim lost memories, and identify what they want most.

This is a quick and interesting read and I picked up a couple of cooking tips! Although the book is fairly short, the characters develop nicely and I enjoyed the connections they make with each other. Although I would have liked more of an ending for Lillian, the author leaves the reader with a sense of hope and happiness.

©2009 The Literate Mother