(U.S. Edition)
(UK Edition)
I pre-ordered the UK edition of this latest release from Helen Oyeyemi so I will have to wait a bit before I get my copy in the mail. The U.S. edition is fine but the UK edition is beautiful! The story sounds like an interesting and potentially dark tale and I'm here for it!
Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories, beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe.
Perdita Lee may appear to be your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there's the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it's very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (or, according to many sources, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee's early youth. The world's truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread, however, is Harriet's charismatic childhood friend Gretel Kercheval —a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met.
Decades later, when teenaged Perdita sets out to find her mother's long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet's story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi's inimitable style and imagination, it is a true feast for the reader.
This is going to be an adoration it-or-despise it read for some individuals. Enthusiasts of Oyeymei realize that she's dependably got something at her disposal so this one, which is kind of sort of a retelling of Hansel and Gretel (however not) is enjoyable to peruse notwithstanding when you're a little befuddled about what's going on. Harriet and Perdita, the mother/little girl leads, are fabulous characters.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the meaning that is hidden in these books! I usually read books from https://bookkooks.com/ where there are a lot of interesting books. Where in each book is a great storyline! Perhaps the books are not so popular now, but I think the books are worthy of attention.
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