Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees

(Hardback)

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From the New York Times bestselling author of World of Wonders, a lyrical book of short essays about food offering a banquet of tastes, smells, memories, associations, and little-known facts about nature

In Bite by Bite, poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil explores the way food and drink evokes our associations and remembrances a subtext or layering, a flavor tinged with joy, shame, exuberance, grief, desire, or nostalgia.

Here, Nezhukumatathil restores some of our astonishment and wonder about food through her encounter with a range of foods and food traditions. From shave ice to lumpia, mangoes to pecans, rambutan to vanilla, she investigates how food marks our experiences and identities; the boundaries between heritage and memory; and the ethics and environmental pressures around gathering and consuming food.

Bite by Bite offers a rich and textured kaleidoscope of vignettes and visions into the world of food and nature, drawn together by intimate and funny personal reflections and Fumi Nakamuras gorgeous imagery and illustration.

Reviews

A collection of flavorful memories. . . . A graceful memoir. . . . not unlike halo-halo, a mixture of unexpected ingredients that make for a delectable dessert. . . . Savory food writing." Kirkus Aimee Nezhukumatathils Bite by Bite is an intimate invitation to come sit at her table; each essay is studded with richly rendered traditions andunexpected anecdotes that range from tender to hilarious to downright devastating. A feast of a collection. Elizabeth Acevedo, author of Family Lore and The Poet X Over the years, Aimee Nezhukumatathils writing hasfed me in ways I didnt even know were possible. So it is appropriate, then, that she has now turned her attention to the world of food, which she writesabout with such remarkable dexterity. Bite by Biteis a book about memory, pleasure, regret, and celebration. It uses food to talk about what it means to be humanto love, to learn, to laugh, to lose. Nezhukumatathilswriting has changed the way I look at food, and made me infinitely more grateful for those whom I share it with. I love this book. Clint Smith, author of How the Word Is Passed and Above Ground Nezhukumatathils backgroundas a poetis obvious throughout. Her writing is lyrical (some essays include poems), and her brevity shows her skill in word choice and description.Bite by Bitewill be an especially good option for anyone trying to get out of a reading slump. Eater

Author Bio

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of the New York Times bestselling illustrated collection of nature essays World of Wonders, chosen as Barnes & Nobles Book of the Year and as a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. She has published four award-winning poetry collections andis the poetry editor for Sierra magazine, the storytelling branch of the Sierra Club. She lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with her family and is a professor of English and creative writing in the University of Mississippis MFA program.