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Category: Family Saga

Blog Tour & Giveaway: “The Hundred-Foot Journey” by Richard C. Morais

[ 142 ] July 12, 2010

Please welcome Richard Morais as he tours the blogosphere with his new book, The Hundred-Foot Journey!

Reviewed by Poppy J.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is a story of a chef in the making. Hassan Haji details how his father was instrumental in developing an understanding of the Zen nature of food to Hassan. The narrator’s father took the family from rags to riches in a story that uses food as a colorful backdrop to every life stage, from childhood all the way to manhood.

The Haji family discovers that they cannot hide from their destiny, and through a twist of fate, they find themselves moving from Mumbai, to London, to Lumiere, a small town near the French Alps. Hassan’s father’s entrepreneurial spirit is resurrected again and again to become the driving force in the new community that they will call home. And the family becomes instrumental in bringing the scents and complex beautiful tastes of India to the people in their new community.

The first half of the story centers on Hassan and the life experiences that taught him about trust, relationships, loyalty and of course, preparing and enjoying food. The second half of the story introduces the character Madame Mallory, and discloses the process by which Hassan finds himself on the cusp of attaining his lifelong dreams.

The Hundred-Foot Journey chronicles personal growth and describes the triumphs and sadness of the narrator and his family, the Hajis. Hassan’s parents kept the faith in their religion and trusted that they would always be successful if they never gave up. Hassan shares many intimate details of his life and captivates the reader from the very first page.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is inspirational on many levels, and I’d recommend it to anyone, of any age and any faith. The language is so colorful, alive and uniquely descriptive. I felt as if I were right alongside the characters in the kitchens and open air markets at the stalls buying the freshest food in the entire world.

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Giveaway:
I have 3 copies of The Hundred-Foot Journey to give away, courtesy of the publisher!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

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This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on July 27th.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Scribner. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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“Her Mother’s Hope” by Francine Rivers

[ 4 ] June 14, 2010

Reviewed by Amanda S.

In Her Mother’s Hope, Francine Rivers lays out the first two generations of a family that emigrated from Europe in the late 1800’s. Marta comes from a family that was abusive, strict, and hard-working. She vows to live a different life than the one she’s been dealt and sets off on her own at a very young age. Her mother kept telling her to “fly,” and so fly she did…all the way to Canada.

In Canada, Marta sets up her boardinghouse and meets her husband, who then moves her to America, but not without a fight. Marta doesn’t like the idea of doing what her husband tells her to do and so she fights it with all she has. Following the move, Marta gives birth to their second child, Hildemara Rose. Weak and ill from birth, Hildemara is a special child. But Marta refuses to coddle Hildie and is harder on her than on any of her other children. Rather than take these criticisms and turn them into a positive, Hildie internalizes the hurt and feels unwanted and unloved by her mother.

As Hildemara grows, she is determined to not allow her mother to bring her down and to live her life the way she wants to live it: serving others. Hildie becomes a nurse, marries, and starts a family of her own…only to become ill, forcing her to ask her mother for help. Will Marta come and help Hildemara or will she only push Hildie away like she’s always done?

Francine Rivers weaves another beautiful tale for us that comes partially from her own family history. We see the pain each character goes through, their joys, their triumphs, and their sorrows. In many ways we can see ourselves in the different characters. Have we been harder on one child than on the others, especially if it’s for their own good? Or have we coddled one child over another because they were weaker or needed more help? Have we, like Marta, been so adamant not to relive our childhood that we pushed ourselves to the opposite extreme, and became almost hateful in our dealings with our spouse or children?

Her Mother’s Hope ends rather abruptly and with a huge cliffhanger, much like Voice In The Wind (from The Mark of the Lion series by Rivers). The main character is on the brink of death, and we have to wait until the next book to find out what happens….which is months in coming! While not liking the cliffhangers in Francine River’s books, I will never turn down the opportunity to read one of her works! The second book, Her Daughter’s Dream, comes out in the fall of 2010.

For more information, please visit Francine Rivers’ website.

Amanda lives in Missouri with her engineering husband and two boys. In between homeschooling and keeping up with church activities she loves to read Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and any Chick-Lit. She never goes anywhere without a book to read!

This book was provided free of any obligation by Author Marketing Experts, Inc. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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