Today, I intended on borrowing the book from the library to get started on the reading. However, after working from 7:30 am until 6 pm and then heading directly from work in Mattawan to the conference center in Lawrence for a two and a half hour training on Infant & Toddler development that lasted until 9 pm, I literally had no time left in the day to check out the book. So, I've decided, I will do a summary of what I can collect from online sources about Five Quarters of the Orange until I can find the book tomorrow sometime in between classes. At that point, I will read as much as humanly possible within the next couple of days to catch up to the amount of reading everyone else has done.
Here's a summary from Amazon.com:
"When Framboise Simon returns to a small village on the banks of the Loire, the locals do not recognize her as the daughter of the infamous woman they hold responsible for a tragedy during the German occupation years ago. But the past and present are inextricably entwined, particularly in a scrapbook of recipes and memories that Framboise has inherited from her mother. And soon Framboise will realize that the journal also contains the key to the tragedy that indelibly marked that summer of her ninth year..."
This novel sounds interesting to me because I've always been very interested in WWII related stories. I'm not much of a history buff. I dislike talking about wars, kings, and colonization. However I enjoy learning about the personal, psychological, social, human perspective during times of great importance in history. The era of WWII is a time that sparks my interest so much because there are so many emotions that are tied to this war. I love hearing the stories of the people affected during this time and trying to get a glimpse of their life during those tragic years. I'm extremely intrigued by this type of information.
I also have a huge appreciation for recipes - especially old ones! I love cooking and baking. Some of my most favorite gifts have been cookbooks filled with recipes of all types. I like the idea of incorporating the recipes into a novel. I'm excited to find out how those tie in and I'm also curious about what types of foods were described in those recipes!
A very interesting paragraph about the book came directly from the author's website :
"Five Quarters, like Chocolat and Blackberry Wine, is a story about food as a metaphor for change, but in this case the transformation is not always benign. As a child Framboise deliberately torments her mother with the scent of the orange which brings on her migraines - food here is used as a weapon rather than an agent of kindness. It is only much later in her life that Framboise is able to understand her mother and to forgive her, and at the same time forgive herself. Food continues to be a source of pleasure, but here it is far from simple; it is politicized by the fact that much of it is in short supply; it becomes a means of bartering and blackmail, both during the war and in the present day; it becomes an expression of style (much to the elderly Framboise's disgust); a gateway into the past, a means of self-assertion and finally, the agent of a long-delayed reconciliation between mothers and daughters."
Food, as a weapon, it sounds unheard of but is entirely real, just as this scenario describes. Food shortage and inequality - topics we've talked about many times during class.
I'm very intrigued by the ideas shared about this novel. I can't wait to dive into it. I'm positive that it will be much better than my first pick of novel...phew!
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