I am focusing for a moment today on memoirs. I have read over seventy memoirs since 2019, at one time requiring my Advanced Writing students to read one and to write a short one. I am about to ask my fall class (which is already full and hopefully, champing at the bit to begin writing) to read a memoir and write a good review of it. If things work out, especially if some turn them in early, I will share some with my readers.

One that appeared as a donation to my Little Free Library is Shasta Martin’s 2015 memoir, Life from Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness. I didn’t know what to expect, except probably recipes, of which I was not disappointed, but the narrative itself was very moving and memorable–that’s where the “forgiveness” came in.

To say Martin had a “rough childhood” is putting it mildly. She lived in more than one foster home and was rejected from one which was supposed to become her forever home, a crushing blow. The book narrates a “journey of self-acceptance and discovery,” as Martin finds that cooking helps create her own happiness . At times, the author refused to trust her good luck in life, not accustomed to having good luck in her childhood. At times this memoir is heartbreaking, but at times it is redeeming as well.

We follow Martin’s “culinary journey” as she sets out to cook (and eat) food from every country in the world. This results in a “Global Table” event which is amazing and fulfilling to both the author and the reader. 195 recipes, 195 countries, 195 weeks made up her culinary endeavor, and as a reader, I was rooting for her along the whole way… You will too.

This turned out to be a darned good read!