Friday, January 28, 2011

The Recipe Club

Author: Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel
Review written by Nellie

     We, the readers, are introduced to the main characters of The Recipe Club through their email correspondence, starting in 2000, as Lilly and Valery are trying to renew their deep friendship which had been cut short by an as-yet-unknown argument. Soon, we are taken back to 1963 when the girls first began  "The Recipe Club," sending a recipe with each letter they wrote.

     Recipes, such as, Ben's Brownie Sundae ("you spell it with an 'e,' not like 'Sunday,' did you know that?" says Val) and Lovelorn Lasagna are included in the book so that the reader may cook the girls' favorites along with them.  My sister-in-law, who gave me the book says that she cooked a few of the recipes, but I haven't yet tried any.

     The book is an easy read, giving us glimpses into the thoughts of these two young girls as they mature into adulthood in very different ways.  Lilly is rebellious and a bit boy crazy, like her mother while Val is a serious student who has trouble making friends.  There are some serious issues dealt with in the book, including sex, love and abortion but there is more than that.  We grow with Lilly and Valerie as they learn about friendship, families and careers, trust and rejection.
  
   This would be a great read for mature high school readers, which could lead to good class discussions. I think it would be a perfect for mothers and daughters to read, each with her own copy then coming together to talk about what she has read.  It is definitely a girls book, probably not very interesting  to many fellows.  

     Read it yourself and let me know what you think.  
     

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