<TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText>Daughter of Heaven</TitleText> <Subtitle>A Memoir with Earthly Recipes</Subtitle>

Arcade Publishing 20100209 eng

GCDS-9781559707688 03 01 Arcade Publishing 01 GCOI 55970100577570 02 1559707682 03 9781559707688 15 9781559707688 BB <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText>Daughter of Heaven</TitleText> <Subtitle>A Memoir with Earthly Recipes</Subtitle> 1 A01 Leslie Li LESLIE LI is the author of Bittersweet and coauthor of Enter the Dragon, a book of children's plays based on Chinese folktales. She has written for the New York Times, Gourmet, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure. She lives in New York City and Vermont. 01 eng 01 Leslie Li belongs to the illustrious Li family of Guilin, China. Her grandfather, Li Zongren, was China's first democratically elected vice president, to whom Chiang Kai-shek handed over control of the country when he fled to Formosa in 1949. Leslie's father was studying in the U.S. where he met and married Leslie's American-born mother. In 1958, Leslie's grandmother Nai-nai came to live with her son's family in New York, bringing with her a new world of sights, smells, and tastes. Nai-nai's wonderfully exotic new cooking opened Leslie's heart and mind to her Chinese heritage and to the world. As Leslie grew, taste became the stronghold of memory, and food the keeper of culture. It was through her grandmother's traditional Chinese cuisine that Leslie bridged the cultural divide in an America where she is a minority-and bridged the growing gap at home between her traditionalist father and her progressive mother. Sprinkled throughout Leslie's poignant and moving memoir are recipes from Nai-nai's kitchen that add a delicious dimension to a heartwarming tale. 02 A powerful, touching memoir of a Chinese-American woman and her Chinese grandmother by an extraordinarily talented author who has drawn comparisons to Amy Tan and Maxine Hong Kingston. 08 Leslie Li's writing is brilliantly fresh, direct, and unabashed. Deftly wise and ironic, Daughter of Heaven takes us on an unforgettable, unflinching journey of food and remembrance. author of Crescent and Arabian Jazz Diana Abu-Jaber 08 Written in elegant prose . . . All of the stories are fascinating. Written with imagination, they capture the powerful significance of eating. . . . The gustatory experiences of this cross-cultural family help both reader and author understand what it means to be Chinese American. . . . Satisfying and substantial, filled with cultural know-how. Gastronomica 08 This delectable book will satisfy multiple appetites: for irresistible Chinese dishes, for compelling family saga, and for heartfelt coming-of-age story. author of For Rouenna and A Feather on the Breath of God Sigrid Nunez 08 An entertaining, at times exhilarating, coming-of-age story. Li has an almost filmic talent for bringing odd events into sharp focus. A fun read, and the recipes are delectable. author of Essentials of Asian Cuisine and Authentic Vietnamese Cooking Corinne Trang 08 A window into Chinese culture that is full of exquisite details. A wonderful addition to books dealing with cultural chasms and the bridges we can build to conquer them. author of Foreigner and Married to a Stranger Nahid Rachlin 08 Li conveys surprising depth of feeling in her description of food's impact on her upbringing. . . . Knowledge is imparted with every meal. . . . Authentic recipes from Nai-Nai and others appear at the end of most chapters. Some seem at first starkly minimalist, but American cooks who think they know their way around a wok may find themselves realizing they've never tried it exactly that way. . . . The author blends episodes of gastronomic education with often poignant recollections of a stern father who could never quite bridge the cultural divide between himself and an essentially American daughter. . . . An engaging family portrait enriched by an insider's view of the Chinese kitchen. Kirkus Reviews 08 Daughter of Heaven goes far beyond the show-and-tell character of standard memoirs, reading at times like an op-ed piece on the dichotomy of old-country traditions and 20th century American reality. San Francisco Chronicle 08 Warmly seasoned, sharply observed . . . If food, with its attendant emotions and symbolism, is at the heart of the book, it is just one layer in a very rich composite. Associated Press 08 Like an amuse bouche, each vignette in Li's memoir tantalizes with a taste of Li's life as a Chinese-American in suburban New York, leaving readers longing for more delicious tidbits. . . . The book is more than satisfying, and the mythical ending is haunting. Publishers Weekly 08 Poignant. Gotham 08 Moving. Forecast 08 Li excels at providing easy-to-follow recipes that even a novice at Asian cuisine could follow. Saveur 08 Daughter of Heaven is one of those coming-of-age tales that link food with momentous events. . . . A delectable memoir deftly seasoned with choice recipes that evoke smiles and tears. Houston Chronicle 08 A lovely story of how food pervades the family's history. . . A stunning and eye-opening tale woven around simple yet tempting recipes you probably have not seen-or sampled-before. South Florida Sun-Sentinel 08 Li discovered her luscious culinary and family heritage by way of the Bronx and a determined grandmother. . . . An evocative journey. Philadelphia Inquirer 08 Daughter of Heaven compassionately recounts the author's journey to an acceptance of herself. Foreword 08 Absorbing . . . Like an opera, Daughter of Heaven spans a range of emotions-love and hate, joy and anger, forgiveness and bitterness, birth and death. The nourishing melody of this book evokes the underlying filial love and devotion of the Li family. Cleveland Plain Dealer 08 The memories run deep and envelop Li; they are rich, full-blown, and always, always through food. . . . Refreshingly open and honest. Designs on Living 08 This lovely story is loaded with sights, smells, and tastes of Li Zongren's wife, Nai-nai. . . . This is a highly personal memoir, one family's saga, and a delectable volume. Every chapter enhances the readers every sense. Every one ends with one or two recipes, delicious words and delicious dishes all. . . . Part novel, part personal history, and part actual history . . . it enlarges your cultural education. . . . Substantial and satisfying. Flavor & Fortune 08 A savory read . . . Fascinating . . . The recipes are . . . eminently doable (no fuss, and no difficult-to-obtain ingredients) and thus serve well as a basic primer on Chinese cuisine. Prairie Fire Review of Books 08 A compelling stew of history, culture, self-discovery, and the intricacies of Chinese cuisine. Salem Press 04 02 72 01 http://www.arcadepub.com/resources/titles/55970100577570/images/55970100577570L.gif 07 02 72 01 http://www.arcadepub.com/resources/titles/55970100577570/images/55970100577570S.gif http://www.arcadepub.com/book/?GCOI=55970100577570 01 Arcade Publishing http://www.arcadepub.com US 04 20050501 Arcade Publishing 01 IP 01 25.00 USD