Search - Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

I loved, loved, LOVED this book. There was one particular incident that made my breath catch in my throat it was so magical, and I choked up with emotion. The book made me laugh and cry and it is going on the keeper shelf! I will definitely read it again! And again.

Only knowing Reichl from hearing her do some local radio interviews I had a totally different picture of her than is presented in the memoir. The book covers her childhood up to her life at about age 30 and is packed full of anecdotes and stories that will at times make you laugh out loud. The first description of an antic about her mother will have you burst out laughing.

Reichl is now the Editor-in-Chief of "Gourmet" magazine. But, her journey is filled with boarding schools, a commune lifestyle, friends and family who are eclectic, each bringing some aspect of food to Reichl's growth as a person. Interspersed in the book are recipes associated with each phase of her life and the people she loves or meets. A fantastic cast of characters inhabit the pages.

A truly wonderful book for anyone who loves food, not just the eating but, what it can mean to you and your relationships with those around you.

I rarely keep books but, this is one that will remain on my shelf for a long, long time.

I don't know what I liked more about this book--the great recipes Reichl throws in, the funny stories about her maladjusted home life, or her memory lane of life growing up in the '60s to Berkley in the 1970's. I couldn't put the book down. Reichl lets you in on how food became her saving grace in a household with a nutty mother who would just as soon serve moldy bread as not. Reichl's defense was to perfect her knowledge of all things "food." Her stories are so funny as she talks about being shipped off to a French boarding school in Canada where no English is spoken, a camp counselor in France, part of the organic food revolution in Berkley in the '70s.......and so much more. The recipes make this book a keeper. I can't wait to read her follow-up book to see what's next. She's got me hooked!

This was a book club read, and we enjoyed this one quite a bit. The recipes are delicious. The story is funny and touching. Very relatable.

Loved this! Made me laugh. I felt like I was right there, a part of the family in this book.

I really enjoyed this book. She writes as if these memories are as fresh as the day they happened and it truly gives you the feelings that she had at different stages of her life.