Synopses & Reviews
Diana Abu-Jaber's vibrant, humorous memoir weaves together stories of being raised by a food-obsessed Jordanian father with tales of Lake Ontario shish kabob cookouts and goat stew feasts under Bedouin tents in the desert. These sensuously evoked repasts, complete with recipes, in turn illuminate the two cultures of Diana's childhood American and Jordanian while helping to paint a loving and complex portrait of her impractical, displaced immigrant father who, like many an immigrant before him, cooked to remember the place he came from and to pass that connection on to his children.
The Language of Baklava irresistably invites us to sit down at the table with Diana's family, sharing unforgettable meals that turn out to be as much about "grace, difference, faith, love" as they are about food.
Review
"In a calorie-conscious era, where food is often seen as a necessary evil, Diana's celebration of food, its essences and aromas, its connection to family,is a refreshing reminder." KLIATT
Review
"An enjoyable read with evocative descriptions of the immigrant experience and Arab American culture." Library Journal
Review
"Food as a way to remember or a way to forget-either way, Abu-Jaber gets it just right." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Teens don't need to share Abu-Jaber's love of food to enjoy this story of family, love, and finding one's identity." School Library Journal
Review
"Feasts and celebrations play a huge role, but this exquisite memoir offers much more to the discerning reader. With humor and grace, the author explores timeless topics of love, cultural adjustments and what being rootless means." Seattle Times
Review
"[A] page-turner, but not in the traditional sense....It's more that the world described is so strange and sumptuous, the characters so large and comedic, and the descriptions of the food so enveloping and mouth-watering that you want to climb into this world and make it your own." Oregonian
Synopsis
Diana Abu-Jaber s vibrant, humorous memoir weaves together delicious food memories that illuminate the two cultures of her childhood American and Jordanian. Here are stories of being raised by a food-obsessed Jordanian father and tales of Lake Ontario shish kabob cookouts and goat stew feasts under Bedouin tents in the desert. These sensuously evoked repasts, complete with recipes, paint a loving and complex portrait of Diana s impractical, displaced immigrant father who, like many an immigrant before him, cooked to remember the place he came from and to pass that connection on to his children.The Language of Baklavairresistiblyinvites us to sit down at the table with Diana s family, sharing unforgettable meals that turn out to be as much about grace, difference, faith, love as they are about food.
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Synopsis
Diana Abu-Jabers vibrant, humorous memoir weaves together stories of being raised by a food-obsessed Jordanian father with tales of Lake Ontario shish kabob cookouts and goat stew feasts under Bedouin tents in the desert. These sensuously evoked repasts, complete with recipes, in turn illuminate the two cultures of Diana's childhood-American and Jordanian-while helping to paint a loving and complex portrait of her impractical, displaced immigrant father who, like many an immigrant before him, cooked to remember the place he came from and to pass that connection on to his children. The Language of Baklava irresistably invites us to sit down at the table with Dianas family, sharing unforgettable meals that turn out to be as much about “grace, difference, faith, love” as they are about food.
About the Author
Diana Abu-Jaber is the author of Crescent, which was awarded the 2004 PEN Center USA Award for Literary Fiction and the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award and was named one of the twenty best novels of 2003 by The Christian Science Monitor, and Arabian Jazz, which won the 1994 Oregon Book Award and was nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award. She teaches at Portland State University and divides her time between Portland and Miami.