Maman’s Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Release Date: 20th September 2011
Rating: 4/5
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours, thank you!
Publishers Summary:

For Donia Bijan’s family, food has been the language they use to tell their stories and to communicate their love. In 1978, when the Islamic revolution in Iran threatened their safety, they fled to California’s Bay Area, where the familiar flavors of Bijan’s mother’s cooking formed a bridge to the life they left behind. Now, through the prism of food, award-winning chef Donia Bijan unwinds her own story, finding that at the heart of it all is her mother, whose love and support enabled Bijan to realize her dreams.

From the Persian world of her youth to the American life she embraced as a teenager to her years at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (studying under the infamous Madame Brassart) to apprenticeships in France’s three-star kitchens and finally back to San Francisco, where she opened her own celebrated bistro, Bijan evokes a vibrant kaleidoscope of cultures and cuisines. And she shares thirty inspired recipes from her childhood (Saffron Yogurt Rice with Chicken and Eggplant and Orange Cardamom Cookies), her French training (Ratatouille with Black Olives and Fried Bread and Purple Plum Skillet Tart), and her cooking career (Roast Duck Legs with Dates and Warm Lentil Salad and Rose Petal Ice Cream).

An exhilarating, heartfelt memoir, Maman’s Homesick Pie is also a reminder of the women who encourage us to shine.

My one continuous thought throughout my reading of Maman’s Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan was, “is this really non-fiction?” None of it seemed particularly outrageous, but Bijan’s novel lacked the “stale factor” I often come across while reading non-fiction. It was incredibly refreshing. Not only was the story engaging, but it allowed an exploration of a culture and time I never understood before. In addition to the intriguing history there was also the added aspect of food, which readers here at Chick Lit Reviews know I can’t seem to get enough of. All of these things and so much more made Maman’s Homesick Pie a memoir I won’t soon forget.

As I mentioned most of the first half of the memoir centers around Bijan’s life in Iran as well as the lives of her parents. Much of what I know about Iran (as Bijan mentions) has been learned through hideous media coverage since the time of the Iran-Iraq War and forward. From that information I’d venture to guess that unless you’d lived there during this time you’d assume the same. What I found through Bijan’s story was a country rich with culture, people who were highly educated and cared deeply for one another.

One of the aspects that struck me almost immediately upon reading Bijan’s story was how much her relationship with her parents meant to her, especially that with her mother. Upon her mother’s death she discovers countless recipes and notes regarding the food her mother prepared growing up. This would be potentially nothing more than a stroll down memory lane were it not for her close connection with her mother as well as her professional chefs training at the Cordon Bleu in Paris. Mingled throughout the pages of the novel are some of the most delectable recipes you could imagine, including many that her mother enjoyed at Thanksgiving time which also happened to be her favorite holiday. I loved getting to know her mother through these recipes as well as through the support she gave to her daughter as she grew up.

Maman’s Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan is an inspiring and beautiful story about a girl growing up in Iran who one day becomes a leading chef. Inspired by her mother, Bijan departs the life her father had planned for her as a doctor and enters a life of food around the globe. Her conflict between her father counter balanced with the support of her mother makes for a story that plays out more like fiction than non-fiction in all the ways that matter. Bijan also manages to break down typical stereotypes and sheds light on a preconceived notions of Iran, turning it into a place rich and beautiful. Maman’s Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan is a memoir I won’t soon forget and one I’d love to share with anyone looking for a wonderful written novel filled with delectable recipes.