Book Review: “A Place at the Table” by Saadia Faruqi & Laura Shovan

“A Place at the Table” by Saadia Faruqi & Laura Shovan (2020)

Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Contemporary

Page Length: 320 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

Sixth-graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl meet when they take a South Asian cooking class taught by Sara’s mom.

Sixth-graders Sara and Elizabeth could not be more different. Sara is at a new school that is huge and completely unlike the small Islamic school she used to attend. Elizabeth has her own problems: her British mum has been struggling with depression. The girls meet in an after-school South Asian cooking class, which Elizabeth takes because her mom has stopped cooking, and which Sara, who hates to cook, is forced to attend because her mother is the teacher. The girls form a shaky alliance that gradually deepens, and they make plans to create the most amazing, mouth-watering cross-cultural dish together and win a spot on a local food show. They make good cooking partners … but can they learn to trust each other enough to become true friends?

Review:

This middle-grade novel is a beautiful story about family, culture, and food. This novel shows that food has the power to bring people from different backgrounds together and open conversations that can lead to new friendships. This story even though the main characters Sara and Elisabeth face such different obstacles felt like a warm hug. Seeing them bond over a cooking class and become close friends was heartwarming.

Both girls start off with curiosity about each other but soon learn they have more in common than they think. Through their journeys, they not only come to terms with their family situations and culture but also grow themselves. Especially taking notes from their own experiences the authors made this book feel authentic and real by portraying what it’s like to be first generation kids of immigrants. There is a constant struggle to balance between adapting to change and honoring your own traditions.

A Place at the Table also showcases the power of friendship and how Sara and Elizabeth are tested numerous times throughout their friendship. The descriptions of food are also so detailed, and I felt as if the aroma of the dishes mentioned leaped off the page while I was reading (the recipes were mouth-watering)! This novel is full of fun, food, and finding out what it means to belong.

Final Verdict: