100 Happy Moments
10: A Great Read and Chocolates
“What will it be like….where I am going?”
“Close your eyes and I will tell you.”
It’s the most wonderful place in you can possibly imagine….There are clouds made of marshmallow and rivers of wine. Baked apples grown in the fields, and the air is scented with spice. The ground under your feet is soft and bouncy like sponge cake…..Beautiful white swans lay chocolate eggs….In the meadows grow…apricot turnovers, strawberry tarts, raspberry meringues… and the rain upon your tongue tastes like elderberry cordial.“
-From the Kitchen of Half Truth by Maria Goodin
All I wanted was a light yet pleasurable summer read. With “Kitchen of Half Truth,” I got more than what I bargained for. Honestly, I was just expecting a mindless chicklit with not a lot of substance. “Kitchen of Half Truth” turned out to be a well-written novel with a lot of depth yet still retained its sweetness. Set in England with a cameo appearance of Paris, it reminds me of the book “Chocolat.” It is a story about how a mother’s love created a magical fantasy world for her daughter to erase the traumas of her daughter’s childhood by telling ridiculous stories. Her daughter, Meg May, now 21, made it her mission to find the facts of her early life while struggling to get her mother out of the protective imaginary world she created, before her mother passes away. Meg purposely became a scientist in order to rebel against her mother’s life of delusions. All throughout the book there were many mentions of delicious home cooked meals, pastries, harvest and sweets that would make your mouth water. However, this novel is not about food. It has a combination of magical realism and drama. It is also about friendships, unconditional love of a pet, and community of strangers during tough times. I am not a big fan of writing a book review but I want to share what a delightful read “Kitchen of Half Truth” was. I looked forward to my commutes just so I could devour this book. It is sweet, bright, light and one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a while. (Maybe it was the book but I craved chocolates while reading this book!)
Leah's Cozy Notebook 