All Stirred Up by Brianne Moore

New author Brianne Moore uses Jane Austen’s Persuasion as a starting point for her novel set in contemporary Edinburgh, Scotland.  Knowing that, you will realize that the cute cover is attractive but doesn't catch the more somber tone of the story that focuses on two former lovers who, in the intervening years, have moved on in some major ways but not in others.

Susan Napier hopes to pull her family back from the brink of bankruptcy by consolidating their remaining funds and concentrating on the formerly upscale Elliot’s restaurant in Edinburgh.  The smaller, more provincial city is below the expectations of her pretentious father and her society sister, but it is a more manageable place for them to be.  It also helps that Susan can assist her younger, hypochondriacal sister with her young family.  If nothing else, Susan is a calm and constant force in a family of demanding and unrealistic tendencies. 

Unfortunately, what Susan encounters when she arrives at Elliot’s is not the reputable establishment she was expecting.  Made famous by her grandfather, the family had added to their restaurant empire with the London location, and things in Scotland are diminished.  So, in addition to dealing with the lavish lifestyle of her family and the imagined ill health of her sister, Susan needs to take drastic action against the surly chef and sous chef, two obvious slackers, currently operating Elliot’s. 

Added to her burdens is the opening of a new and talked-about restaurant by Chris Baker, her grandfather’s protege and now a celebrity chef home from America.  Chris is also the man her family felt was not her equal and who she awkwardly cast aside without explanation years before.  She may have cut the ties, but the emotional ones are painfully evident to her.

Chris and Susan come face-to-face on a local cooking challenge where a famous blogger has sniffed out their past history and believes he’ll have a big scoop.  Still stinging from the rejection years before, Chris alternates between snarky comments and caring encouragement.

The kitchen settings and baking scenes are fascinating, helped along by intriguing minor characters.  In addition, the tour of Edinburgh and the happenings during festival season make an appealing backdrop for this story. 

After re-reading several Austen novels recently, I’ve been struck how the male protagonists are often foils for weak and deficient fathers or mismatched suitors.  This is revealed during the story, and this is done here in some charming ways.  It's a solid read, in the upper echelons of Austen adaptations but also enjoyable if you know nothing about Persuasion. Some early reviewers were put off by a few of the minor characters--but have you ever read the original? There are some real pains in that novel!  This is entertaining, whether you see the Austen connections or not.

Published September 8 by Alcove Press/Random House.  

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy. 

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

My reading tends to be very American/British oriented, often from a white point-of-view, so I am trying to find new voices and visions.  A new book that I loved, coming out on September 1, is Peace Adzo Medie’s His Only Wife, set in present-day Ghana.  It’s the story of a young woman of limited means and hopes whose fortunes seemingly change when she accepts an arranged marriage to the wealthy son of a local woman she calls “Aunty.”

Afi Tekple is a seamstress who is working on setting up her own small business in the little town of Ho.  Her closest relative is her mother, although she is surrounded by an extended family who look out for her in varying degrees, and she and her mother are part of her oldest uncle’s household.  Based on the cultural traditions, Uncle Pious is considered her father after the death of her own father, and she has many siblings from his multiple wives.  Her friend, Muwasi, shares all her secrets and encourages Afi to start her new life when it is offered to her.

As Afi tells it in the opening sentence, “Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding.”  So begins Afi’s new life, described to her by her new in-law’s as being difficult by Eli’s “woman,” who they promise will soon be gone, and romanticized by her friend.  Her new apartment in Accra is certainly many steps above her humble beginnings in Ho, and she is elated to be able to apprentice in the workshop of a leading designer.  Her sister-in-law and brothers-in-law help her acclimate as she waits to meet her absent husband. 

Although this book has been described as “hilarious” and similar to Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians, I find that these comparisons miss the mark.  This is a serious look at economic status, marriage, and women’s rights in a story that you just can’t put down.  Afi’s Uncle Pious is infuriating with his familial demands for money, which he views as a right, but Afi’s new mother-in-law is also demanding in other ways.  Afi’s developing relationship with Eli is compelling and certainly romantic, but there are problems behind this new glamor. 

I cheered on Afi, who is young and naive and determined to find her own way in a place that challenges her difficult decisions to live life on her terms. Her story is by turns heartbreaking, hopeful and inspirational.  I especially enjoyed the look into the culture of Ghana, the lives of people in small towns and big cities, the descriptions of food, the lifestyles of the newly rich, and the changing expectations of new generations,  I’m looking forward to future books by this author, and I hope one of those might be Afi's continuing story! 

Thanks to Algonquin Books and Edelweiss for an advance copy.