(Dolen Perkins-Valdez, hardback). From the title you might think this is a book about the s-x word. It’s not. By a long shot. But the story, set in about 1852, is about a black slave woman, and her somewhat misguided “love” for her master. About the children she bore him, under the eagle eye of the master’s wife. But it’s all tied together with a yearly journey made to a place called Tawawa House, a rural inn of sorts in southern Ohio (a free State), that for some years allowed white slave owners to stay at the resort in rustic cottages with their black slaves, as couples. This place existed, according to the author’s afterword, and finally closed because some of the regulars (white couples who stayed in the main house) didn’t fancy this concubine business going on out in the woods. It’s about Lizzie’s relationships with the other slave women, about their desire to run to safety through the local underground, about them secretly meeting some free blacks, finding out more about abolition, and about the hardships all these black mistresses endured, and how little their lives were valued. A real stunning book. (I was sent this book as a perk from Harper Collins – because I had mentioned The Help. No strings attached – I could choose to mention this book, or not, here on my blog. I’m glad to because it’s a very good read.)
(Jamie Ford, on my Kindle). A poignant story about a Chinese-American, growing up in Seattle at the beginning of World War II. Henry falls in love with a young Japanese girl before her family is interned in a relocation camp. It a very secretive relationship because his parents would highly disapprove. The story goes back to the 40’s and forward to the 1980’s when Henry is in his 50’s and his wife (not the Japanese woman) has just died of cancer. The story pulls you in from the first page, especially when some artifacts are found in the basement of an old hotel which contain personal belongings from several Japanese families who were suddenly taken away back in 1942. You can see where it’s going, can’t you? I heard criticism of this book that it was just a little bit contrived. Halfway through I’m enjoying it very much.
(Kathryn Stockett on my Kindle, an excellent read); 
by Jetta Carleton (Kindle edition, eh); 
by Susan Richards (Kindle edition, good book); 
by Sally Gunning (Kindle edition, very good read)
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(Mario Batali & Gweneth Paltrow); 
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The actors in this three-act play:
DH [Dear Husband] and Carolyn [his wife]
Scene One
[Couple talking together in the car.]
[DH] “What are we having for dinner tonight, honey?
[Carolyn] “The leftover pork tenderloin.
[DH] “Oh good, I loved that. With that good sauce? What else?
[Carolyn] “Cardoons.
[DH, with alarmed voice] “WHAT? Car what?
[Carolyn] “Car-DOONS. They’re also called Car-dohn too.
[Fade out.]
Scene Two
[A few hours later in the couple’s kitchen. Carolyn is standing by a cutting board with an odd looking green celery-like thing on the board and a big knife, along with a vegetable peeler. She moves to the sink to wash the big green thing.]
[DH] “What’s that?
[Carolyn] “Cardoon.
[DH] “Huh? Car-what? What’s that?
[Carolyn, with definite exasperation in her voice] “Honey, we had this conversation a few hours ago. I told you. It’s a vegetable.
[DH] “It looks like celery.
[Carolyn] “It does, but it’s actually a thistle, uhm, part of the thistle family like artichokes, but it looks like overgrown celery.
[DH] “So, what are you going to do with it?
[Carolyn] “I’m removing all the fibrous strings on it, cutting it up and putting it in acidulated water so it won’t turn brown, then I’m simmering it for awhile. Then I’m going to toss it with a vinaigrette dressing. Supposedly it tastes kind of like artichoke hearts, but it’s kind of tough so I have to cook it awhile.
[DH] “Okay. Like artichoke hearts? Hmm. That sounds good.
[Fade out.]
Scene Three
[It's nightime now and DH is standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes and Carolyn brings the dishes from the dining room table to the sink to be washed. She also brings the bowl of green stuff that kind of looks like a gray celery salad to the sink.]
[Carolyn] “Do you want any more of the cardoons? [awkward pause] Will you eat any of these tomorrow as leftovers?
[DH after long pause] “Uh, no.
[Carolyn] “Me, either.
[Fade out as DH throws bowl full of gray cardoons down the garbage disposal.]
The end
Sue
said on November 10th, 2008:
I enjoyed the “cardoons” story. I have had a similar conversation with my own DH over broccoli rabe. Broccoli what? Broccoli rabe. You get the rest of the conversation!
Sue – glad you got a laugh out of my little play. But now, I like broccoli rabe. As long as it’s fresh (not bitter) and it’s cooked just right. But I can understand why some people wouldn’t like it. . . . Carolyn T