Food of Love

"A joy to read -- warm and familial, full of lovely sketches and archival photographs. It is a unique journey -- deftly articulated -- weaving the personal and the public, providing a socio-cultural landscape that is still relevant. There is much to learn from here -- digest, eat and imbibe these words with love." -- Sudeep Sen, author of EroText and editor of The HarperCollins Book of English Poetry
"Vetta takes us on a lively and delicious journey through her varied and culturally rich life. Her open-mindedness and generosity shine through. And she completely understands how food and memory are inextricably linked. The recipes are great too." -- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, London Evening Standard
"The Food of Love is a personal history while at the same time it is an honest portrayal of the post Second World War period. We are faced with our attitudes to class, education, gender, religion, race, politics and the expectations of people's position in society. It is a serious social comment as well as being amusing and entertaining. The way food is used to link the chapters is brilliant." -- Diana Bell, artist
"Told with brio and verve, this is an astonishing life story that takes in working-class life in post-war Britain, and the transformation of society in the decades that followed. Encounters with India and China shape a life where enthusiasm for food, art and politics come together in a combination of profoundly serious issues and the laughter of liberation." -- Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China, University of Oxford
"Vetta is a burning fuse on the score of an Oxfordshire cabaret. We can trace here the sweet unrelenting energy which has impacted the collective heart and mentality of its stakeholders and citizens. A Woman for All Seasons." -- Haldi Ravenna Sheahan, writer/editor
"Food for Love is a testimony of zest for life, and compassionate anger at the many forms of injustice in post-war England. Sylvia Vetta's story takes us through her many lives, as she reinvents herself time and time again, rising from the ashes of prejudice, misogyny, racism and greed to renew herself. Whilst it is a story of England's hidden everyday evils, it is a story too of what can be achieved with a life steered by passion, integrity and courage." -- Dr Jane Spiro, Professor of Education and TESOL, Oxford Brookes University
"A wonderful read with insight into how, having access to books at an early age, empowers social mobility. Sylvia's passion for creating access to books for the next generation is inspiring as she mobilises others to share her vision and is now fundraising to build a community library in western Kenya in partnership with the Nasio Trust." -- Nancy Mundenyo Hunt, Founder and CEO of the Nasio Trust, Winner of The UK NatWest Bank Most Inspirational Woman Award 2015
"Touching, inspiring and approachable with a wide range of historical details, Sylvias memoir is a delight to read. She shares with us the human stories behind the transnational and multicultural formation of her family and shows how love persists in the face of great historical forces of socio-political change that can throw people into divisive vortexes. Not only is she courageous to write about the racist and misogynist abuses she and her family have encountered, the book also recounts her decades-long dedication to entrepreneurial and community work in Oxford that paints the city of dreamy spires in fresh colours. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in British life writing, cross-cultural journeys, and food!" -- Flair Donglai Shi, Associate Professor of World Literature, Shanghai Jiaotong University