Review: Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger: A Memoir

Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger: A Memoir by Lisa Donovan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can count the number of pastry chef memoirs I have read on one finger - this one! And Lisa Donovan is my kind of chef, "uncomplicated and thoughtfully prepared - nothing flashy, just good, just delicious, and ultimately, just comforting." She writes about her life starting with an unexpected pregnancy and an abusive partner, struggling to make ends meet, how she found her pastry feet in Nashville, and how she pulled elements of her family background into her craft.

For those that love chef gossip there is some about Sean Brock and the Husk years as that's what she is most known for, but she has had significant experiences before and after. (You can watch her make her most known dish on The Mind of a Chef.)

I actually think what will be most interesting is what she does next. There is a sense in the book that she is only now really stepping into claiming her power.

The memoir came out August 4 and I had a copy from the publisher through Edelweiss. I also saw the author speak at the Southern Festival of Books.

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