Five Quarters of the Orange

Five Quarters of the Orange
(The Food Trilogy #3)
by Joanne Harris

Paperback, 320 pages

Published June 1st 2002 by Harper Perennial (first published 2001)

ISBN 0060958022 

My rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Finished Book:  June 26, 2011

About the Book
(Goodreads)
  
When Framboise Simon returns to a small village on the banks of the Loire, the locals do not recognize her as the daughter of the infamous Mirabelle Dartigen - the woman they still hold responsible for a terrible tragedy that took place during the German occupation decades before. Althrough Framboise hopes for a new beginning. She quickly discovers that past and present are inextricably intertwined. Nowhere is this truth more apparent than in the scrap book of recipes she has inherited from her dead mother.

With this book, Framboise re-creates her mother's dishes, which she serves in her small creperie. And yet as she studies the scrapbook - searching for clues to unlock the contradiction between her mother's sensuous love of food and often cruel demeanor - she begins to recognize a deeper meaning behind Mirabelle's cryptic scribbles. Whithin the journal's tattered pages lies the key to what actually transpired the summer Framboise was nine years old.

My Thoughts of This Book
It appears as though it took me a REALLY long time to finish. Unfortunately I had a lot going on between school, family, house, running schedule, etc.  I hated that it kept me from reading this book in one sitting! However...it is probably one of the best books I have ever read.

Loved this book.
Loved the time period.
Loved the character development.
Loved the writing style.
Loved the storyline.

This book had many characters.  Once you got a handle on all of the people, it sucks you in.  This author is incredible at placing you there, experiencing it, and smelling the food.  Yes.  I could actually imagine myself smelling the food.  This book gives you insight to what it would be like to experience WWII, living side by side with the German military.  What would you do?  Would you cooperate or make it clear you hated them for what was happening?  It's hard to say. 

Note:  I will read ANYTHING by this author!!!