MAN (Kim Thuy) Rating: NNNN
Kim Thuy’s follow-up to Ru is like that 2012 Giller-shortlisted book: slim, poetic and powerful. This time out, she investigates the connection between food and love.
Man, an immigrant from Vietnam, lives in Montreal with her husband – courtesy of an arranged marriage – where she runs a Vietnamese eatery. When she brings a pointedly French element to her cuisine, the restaurant becomes a huge hit.
But her life takes a turn when she falls in love with a French man while promoting her cookbook in Paris.
Thuy deftly details the precision required to make gorgeous food and again delivers her story in short scenes – each one a small gem.
Keep some snacks around. Reading Man will make you hungry.
