“Toast. The Story of a Boy’s Hunger” A book review

The thing I love about reading is the chance to escape into someone else’s world. If it is a really good book I feel as though the author has taken me by the hand and is leading me around. Toast, by Nigel Slater, is everything I want in a book. I picked it up because it sounded amusing and it was about food. I’ve really gotten into the flavours of food, in the last couple of years, and I’ve come to appreciate people who appreciate food.

Slater is definitely someone who appreciates food. As you read you have to wonder if he became a chef more for his love of eating food then making it. Slater writes of his childhood almost matter-of-factly, using the food of his childhood to take you through his most cherished memories, and sad events events of his life. He talks of the sad things without anger; he doesn’t want anyone’s pity. He describes traumatic events like he describes sitting around the table eating dinner, both simply as things that have happened in his life.

As soon you start reading, you can tell that Slater is a professional writer. His writing is entertaining, funny and elegant. His has the ability to make your mouth water on one page, while he pulls at your heartstrings on the next. He depicts all of the events and people in his life with honesty. His good guys have a bad side, and his bad guys have a good side.

I really enjoyed this book. I could even see myself rereading it, but probably not when I’m hungry...