Kitchens of the Great Midwest

An oven-warm yet bittersweet collection of character studies circling the story of Eva Thorvald . . . Hilariously precise in its cultural geography . . . But in spite of its locavorous detail, the novel's plot is driven by a universal truth: that food brings people together * Independent on Sunday *
This offbeat debut features many satisfying ingredients, including triumph over adversity, recipes and a warm Midwestern backdrop * Mail on Sunday *
Stradal creates something quirky, affecting and delicious * Sunday Mirror *
Fun and original * Woman and Home *
Stradal's delicious debut reveals Eva's sweet, sad, funny self in a series of funny vignettes * Psychologies *
A gorgeous feast that feeds both the senses and the soul * Simple Things *
A tender coming-of-age story with a mix of finely rendered pathos and humour . . . Ultimately, Kitchens reveals the strong interplay among food, family and our most cherished memories . . . Stradal suggests that love - or the absence of love - is the most powerful condition of all * Washington Post *
Time flew by when we sat down with Kitchens of the Great Midwest, a charming and unusual first novel . . . We were blown away by Stradal's flair for depicting messy emotions and mixed-up families, and delighted by his insightful and funny reflections on foodie culture and class dynamics * iBooks, Book of the Month *
A warm and enjoyable read about life, love, food, family . . . and chilli eating contests * Stylist, book of the month *
This wise and witty tale of immigrant assimilation wholeheartedly embraces a passion for food . . . Laugh-out-loud funny . . . Stradal is so good at evoking the inner lives of his characters, male and female, young and old . . . Stradal has a sharp eye for the evolution of culture and for landscape; his tone is light, always a little askew . . . Midwesterners never forget what things cost, and Kitchens of the Great Midwest is a terrific reminder of what can be wrested from suffering and struggle - not only success, but also considerable irony, a fair amount of wisdom and a decent meal -- Jane Smiley * Guardian *
This lovely, poignant, hilarious book is the best thing I have read this year. Everything about it is original and wonderful . . . The writing is whipcrack smart and it's both powerfully moving and brilliantly satirical, especially about kitchen snobbery. Read it, read it! -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *
Despite a life pockmarked by poverty and other adversities, Eva has an equally outsize heart. A warring mass of desires, talents and imperfections, she's an attractively flawed, completely likable demigoddess . . . Kitchens of the Great Midwest is not only Eva's story but also a gastronomic portrait of a region . . . It's an impressive feat of narrative jujitsu . . . This colorful, character-driven story . . . keeps readers turning the ­pages too fast to realize just how ingenious they are * New York Times *
Eva Thorvald is the new Olive Kitteridge * Elisabeth Egan, author of A Window Opens *
Teenagers and foodies (teenage foodies especially), will love this book. It's about Eva, a bullied girl who triumphs over her adversaries to become a legendary chef. This is great in itself, but there's so much more to it than that . . . The story-within-a-story action ranges all over the U.S. and is a celebration of great American food as well as the great American underdog. A tremendous novel that combines powerfully moving moments with hilarious satire, especially about kitchen snobbery -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *