My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/E29pplU0RCM

Enjoy! ( )

The beginning was hard for me, but Chaudry's voice really shines through, which is what makes this a good read. ( )

The author is obviously the key character in this food and lifestyle autobiography but shares her spot with food which also takes a primary role. What kind of food? Primarily Pakistani but also American, Italian and Junk Food. She lovingly, lavishly describes the dishes, ingredients and preparation. She also describes the excruciating life-long battle with her weight, her self-image, her self-esteem and her important relationships. The book is an insightful view of some aspects of Pakistani culture and fitting - or not - into an American lifestyle. It is also an intensely revealing, very personal, often uncomfortable view of someone’s thoughts, beliefs and actions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin for the opportunity to read this intriguing ARC. ( )

This book will have you craving the delicious Pakistani foods the author grew up loving. Her life revolved around food; then when her family immigrated to the US, she quickly got addicted to fast food. The author unflinchingly tells about her lifelong struggle with food and body image. To quote the author: "My entire life I have been less fat and more fat, but never not fat.”

I enjoyed the first portion of the book immensely, but I had difficulty keeping the numerous family members straight in my head. Her humorous tales of growing up in an immigrant Pakistani family had me chuckling. I especially loved reading about the political history of Pakistan and its culture.

I am sure many people can relate to her family plying her with unhealthful foods (after all, love is food, right?) while, at the same time, being concerned about her being overweight. Some of the mistakes her parents made in an effort to help her were funny, yet also sad. It was interesting to read of reactions to her weight when she would visit Pakistan as a child.

In the second half of the book, the author writes of the stress of failing and passing the bar exam. I laughed at her name for the secretary where she worked – Jessica Rabbit, “a goddess, shaped like an hourglass and dressed to show every curve she was blessed with.” Chaudry writes about her exercise regimens, diets, and gastric bypass surgery.

After it seems she has no hope of losing her excess weight, she finds a solution. She does eventfully return to her love of Pakistani foods and learns to prepare them in a more healthful way. She now takes control of her food rather than food controlling her. At the back of the book, she shares several of her recipes.

It is a brutal story of how she overcame her weight issues. And through it all, she made me laugh and appreciate her strength. ( )

Thank you Goodreads FirstReads for my ARC.

Initially, I was intrigued by the unusual title. Then the cover with illustrations of the spices I grew up eating. But the main draw was the genre, South Asian literature. And, of course, being a foodie, the emphasis on cuisine was a plus. Even though my ethnic heritage is Indian, I could somewhat relate to the author’s life experiences and culture : the language, cuisine, family dynamics, and entertainment media.

The author grew up in a large, bustling family(admittedly, it was a challenge to keep up with all the characters and relationships, but it didn’t detract from the story). As with any family, especially a joint family arrangement where multiple generations live under one roof, sharing lives and resources, there was love and conflict. There was unsolicited and unfiltered advice and comments, often personal in nature. Often hurtful. There was an emphasis on appearance, especially skin color(obsession with fair skin being the epitome of beauty and desirability) and weight. Appearance, disproportionately, for females, greatly determines marital prospects.

Her family’s move to the United States was the catalyst. Fast food and processed food was more economical, convenient, and tasty. But it was also unhealthy and fattening. Her weight ballooned as did her self-consciousness and insecurity. When they returned to Pakistan for a family event, there was, of course, more delicious food. But also shock, scrutiny, and ridicule.

Being closely affiliated with the case of Adnan Syed on which the immensely popular podcast, Serial, was based, she became a public figure with the accompanying appearance requests and travel. Not to mention the exposure via social media.

Intermittently, she made valiant efforts to lose weight, with varying success, until she reached a point of self-acceptance and contentment.

I loved this book! It was readable with its simple language and short chapters. Such an engrossing story. Informative, inspiring, empathetic, and entertaining. I didn’t want it to end. ( )