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FindingJane
Jul 05, 2016FindingJane rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This book is ostensibly a murder/mystery. But it soars with quiet joy with its simple yet evocative prose and descriptions of the African countryside. The book’s theme mainly revolves around the probings of three intelligent women (and the antics of one manic female) as they attempt to sift through clues to solve the tragic death of a battered woman. Perhaps it is because the fate of women lie at the heart of this story that native recipes sift their way seamlessly through it. When Tannie Maria’s job is changed, against her wishes, to being a kind of Lonely Hearts columnist, she resorts to giving recipes to sort out people’s problems. Her sense of smell and taste wind through this story like the scent of freshly baked cookies trail through a stirring house and propel the story to its conclusion. Food—its tastes, varieties and preparations—are as central to this story as the bonding between women and supplies a deep satisfaction that goes beyond the mystery that is its apparent core.