Tomson Highway's Kiss of the Fur Queen Doubleday 1998 It’s February and Abraham Okimasis is on a sled pulled by eight huskies, racing to the finish line in northern Manitoba. That’s the opening scene of Tomson Highway’s first novel, Kiss of the Fur Queen. The reader, however, receives mixed messages
Anita Rau Badami's Tamarind Mem (1996) Penguin Books, 1998 Tamarind Mem opens with a telephone call, from Kamini (who is studying in Calgary) to her mother (in India). Tension mingles with fondness: it’s an introduction in broad strokes. The conversation is relayed from Kamini’s perspective and then the narrative slips
Summertiiiiiiime! I think this is going to be an amazing reading summer. Last year, my page-turning had its ups and downs, but this season looks like it will be book-soaked. At first I was thinking Theme Reading, but then I took a look at my 2011 Reading Plans
Agnes Jekyll’s Kitchen Essays (1922) Persephone No. 30 Persephone Books, 2001 Agnes Jekyll explains in her introduction to Kitchen Essays that these pieces have been published in book form as a result of readers of The Times having requested such a ready reference. These traditional recipes and rituals straddle nostalgia and practicality,
Massimo Marcone’s Acquired Tastes Key Porter, 2010 The subtitle of Massimo Marcone’s book gives it all away: “on the trail of the world’s most sought-after delicacies”. After briefly considering what constitutes a delicacy, and how the concept shifts across time and varies between cultures, the author focuses on a handful
