Comments (33)

Community comments are the opinions of contributing users. These comments do not represent the opinions of Surrey Libraries.
What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 33 items
Dec 07, 2023Einer2 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A bit disjointed for me and certainly not what I expected from the title. My favorite character was bar baking Pat!
Jun 01, 2023meezerneedlearts rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Let me preface this by saying that I'm originally from the Midwest (Iowa), I was Lutheran from my early childhood through my teenage years, and I love foodie fiction. Maybe I was just really, really sheltered, but the characters and the…
Feb 19, 2023
What to Read Next
Jan 05, 2023katiehclark rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
2020-2021
Dec 26, 2022midori_hon rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
the central figure of 'kitchens of the great midwest' is eva thorvald - her life from birth to ascension into stardom as a celebrated chef. some characters play a pivotal role, others are incidental, at times the reader is left hanging…
Sep 07, 2022Sue1961 rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
I was intrigued with the book at the beginning, but started to lose interest as it went along. There were a number of episodes that left you hanging as to what happened next. There were a number of superfluous (in my opinion)…
Aug 11, 2022phyllis94941 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Not warm, not charming, not tender, not heartwarming. What stood out to me was the abundance of profanity and the overall coarseness of the writing – not the style, but the topics. Most of the characters were unlikable, the title was…
Mar 18, 2022dreamydress rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I don’t know why it took me so long to finally read this! A delightful read that touched on the sweet and bittersweet moments in life. I appreciated the smallness of the towns and characters and the big heart of it all.
Mar 01, 2021posie12 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I actually thought it was a cookbook; the chapters are like short stories, with Eva (the main character) only a fleeting part of a bunch of deplorable people. The foodie part was pretty silly, but funny.
Jan 12, 2021drvining rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Got halfway thru this before giving up. Tedious and improbable. I skipped to the last few pages and found nothing redeeming there, either. Was fully prepared to love this but the only character I found really relatable died in the first…
Jul 30, 2020ellenorndorf rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I read this for book club. I found the writing to be very disjointed. The main character Eva is a chef. It takes place in Minnesota with lots of references to local places. For part of her life Eva lives in RIver Falls, WI. Lugi's…
Jul 14, 2019EljayJohnson rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
When I began reading, I was sure I was reading what would end up being a 4- or 5-starred book for me. This novel is the story of a famed, mysterious, and otherwordly chef, Eva Thorvald, who plies her craft in Iowa and Minnesota. Each…
Jan 13, 2019DianeMarx rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I agree with mitchellered. Crass language spoiled it for me.
Jun 03, 2018EmilyEm rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Eva Thorvald is a woman with an incredible sense of taste who gravitates into the upscale restaurant and catering business in the Twin Cities in Minnesota where every ingredient is fresh and locally sourced. Book is both a homage to…
Aug 07, 2017tjdickey rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A lighter read, but one with complex overtones and a strong aftertaste. "Kitchens of the Great Midwest" takes a person through an extraordinary life interacting with great food and wine. The characters are drawn simply, but with a lot of…
Mar 12, 2017norma777 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Perfect book club choice. Sweet and interesting story lines about a young girl in MN who fulfills her destiny to becomes a fantastic chef. All you need to know about lutefisk. Recipes included.
Mar 08, 2017ctkvlk rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Although I'm not generally a big novel fan, I read this one because of the foodie aspect. Interesting--good, not great, but not bad.
Jul 13, 2016jannylegs rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Nailed it.
Feb 29, 2016Amkalee40 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Although I haven't read the book in it's entirety yet, it's fun to be able to relate to the MN locations mentioned throughout. There are also recipes in there that I might be curious enough to try when I get further along! Definitely…
Feb 25, 2016mitchellered rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I felt like I had a different book than everyone else. Was this supposed to be a young adult novel? The plot is so messy and sudden. One page you meet a character, and the next page the character is violently killed and completely…
Jan 10, 2016MeWilliam rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A little dubious as I read it, but the last chapter, wow.
Oct 30, 2015epelto12 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I wish I had more stars to give. I read "Kitchens of the Great Midwest" over a month ago, and I’m still having a hard time coming up with how to describe it and how it made me feel. This book was breathtaking. Perhaps more so since I…
Oct 22, 2015AmandaG7 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This was a beautiful story of Eva and her extraordinary culinary abilities. Each section of the book is told by a different person who had an impact on Eva's life. It was a truly heartwarming story of love and food. Warning: Don't read…
Oct 21, 2015
This is the story of the making of a chef and it starts even before the chef's conception. The book follows Eva Thorvald as she grows up and touches on major events of her life - most of which include food. At the very end of the book, Eva…
Oct 09, 2015
Such a great book! Everyone should read it!