The Little French Recipe Book by Jacky Durand

Sometimes I just need something under 200 pages that I can leisurely read at my own pace. I get these from the library when I hit a bit of a reading slump, and they help break up the heftier reads.

            The Little French Recipe Book by Jacky Durand follows Julien as he talks to his father, who is comatose on his death bed. Julien is recounting his life in connection to his father and estranged mother. In particular he talks about his connection to a recipe book that he always hoped would bring some form of connection with either his father or mother.

            I really love when second person narration is pulled off really well. I don’t see this style all that often, and I really enjoyed how Durand employs it. He uses it incredibly well, and it makes the whole piece feel so much personal.

            I think it’s the personal aspect of this book that really pulled me in. On the one hand, of course, there is the simple fact that the reader is being spoken to directly, but there’s more than that. Being taken through Julien’s life, and seeing this child who just wants to be like his dad, and can’t understand why his mother just upped and left really pulls at the old heartstrings. There’s something in the way Durand writes that is just so full of heart and roped me right in.

            Perhaps it’s that his descriptions are so lifelike; when he writes things like “little wrinkled apple of a woman” you can’t help but bring to life such a wonderful little image. This is a wonderful feature of the novel, and is certainly something that makes me want to find more of Durand’s work.

            I just love the little touch of having an actual recipe section right at the end. It’s the perfect culmination of the love and passion for food that can be seen throughout the book.

            I fell in love with this novel, and I’d be more than happy to find myself in its pages again. There were twists and turns that were executed perfectly, and there’s so much love throughout. I wholeheartedly recommend this novel, and it can be found at Burnley Library.