97 Orchard: An Edible History Of Five Immigrant Families In One New York Tenement (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
One of my favorite books this year. Wonderfully written and researched. A fascinating history of the Lower East Side through a culinary lens. By focusing on food, the author brings to life the hardships, centuries-old stories, and immutable strengths of these immigrants. My only wish was to learn more details about the five immigrant families whose stories she tells, but nonetheless, this book easily won my five stars. Some people collect magnets on their travels. I like to collect books.During a visit to the Tenement Museum in New York City, I came across this book. I liked the idea of telling a story about several different families and how food was important to each. Like others, I think the title is a little misleading. Each family is used as a brief introduction to the chapter. Each chapter focuses more on the ethnicity/country of origin for different culinary influences. While interesting and historical, I was looking for more about the specific families.If you visit New York, you must visit the Tenement Museum. I hope to go several more times to take some of their other tours. As for the book? It was interesting, but I suspect others have been more effectively written about the 97 Orchard tenement.
What do You think about 97 Orchard: An Edible History Of Five Immigrant Families In One New York Tenement (2010)?
really interesting look at food history and how it has shaped modern thinking and eating patterns
—hello
Interesting book. Wished it was more about the families though than the food they ate.
—wafereth
