You’ll never forget meeting Rosa, the splendidly horrible grandmother who narrates this novel. She’ll go to any length to get what’s best for her family, or for herself (often it’s hard to tell which is which). Rosa’s opinions change like the wind – whatever suits the moment. When an opportunity arises for the family to start a new life in Germany, the fragile bonds between generations threaten to fray even more. The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine is funny and poignant; a marvellous book.
Recommended by David Hebblethwaite
Read The German Riveter here.
Find the books from The German Riveter on the Goethe-Institut page.
THE HOTTEST DISHES OF THE TARTAR CUISINE
Written by Alina Bronsky
Translated from the German by Tim Mohr
Published by Europa Editions (2011)
David Hebblethwaite is a book blogger and reviewer. He has written about translated fiction for Shiny New Books, Strange Horizons, Words Without Borders, and We Love This Book. He blogs at David’s Book World.