Customer Reviews

Burnt Bread and Chutney: Growing Up Between Cultures-A Memoir of an Indian Jewish Girl

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is one of the most superb books that I have read in a long time. The imagery and extraordinary writing bring Delman's compelling life story to life for the reader.
If you are interested in learning about life on the fringes of mainstream American culture/ society, or if you are simply interested in a riveting human story, filled with humor, drama, elegance and raw human emotion, or if you have an interest in the American Jewish community and its ability to welcome and reject its own people, I highly recommend this book to you.
Carmit Delman has the talent to become one of her generation's greatest writers.

Delman's "Burnt Bread and Chutney" was fascinating, and difficult to put down. My interests in Judaism and the culture of India were both piqued and satisfied in this debut work, and I imagine we will be reading much more by Carmi Delman.

The American experience, the feeling of being an outsider, dealing with assimilation and yet never quite fitting in - it's all dealt with in this fictionalized account of a girl's growing up as Indian and Jewish in America and Israel. You can almost taste the food and hear the accents, and you certainly feel her angst; don't pass this by.

Carmit Delman has truly outdone herself in this wonderful account of her life. The juxtaposition of her life with that of her grandmother, led by quotes from "Nana-bai's" diary was unique and kept me so intrigued that I finished the book in 2 days. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to hear more from Carmit!

Every author wishes to touch the emotions of their readers, Ms Delman does just that in "Burnt Bread and Chutney." At first, I felt embarrassed that a man is reading something meant for WOMEN! But pages later, I found myself amused and at times angered, wishing I could help some of the players within. I found I actually "could not put this book down" until I found out what happened!
As ROOTS and GHANDI touched me, so did this book - it too, would make a great movie! (Hey Mr. Spielberg, if you liked The Color Purple, you'll love this!) This book will turn your vision onto a side of life that many are unaware - it will touch your soul....and it will touch your heart.

I would not recommend this book - it is trite and uninteresting. I did not learning anything new about the jewish indian experience

I found Carmit Delman's memoir fascinating. Her story was remarkable, how she grew up in the modern world with her family's culture and background several centuries behind. It is very appropriate for mothers of teens, gives you an eye to the struggles they face as they try to reconcile their life with yours.

This book is outstanding.
Carmit Delman paints pictures with words.
Read it!

I cannot believe that this is her first book. This apparent literary genius, has a huge future in writing. Her style, imagination, and choice of words had me staying up into the wee hours of the night/morning reading this book. I would highly recommend this book to all audiences as it is very easy to relate to in some aspects of her creative memoir. Bravo Ms. Delman!

I honestly had trouble putting this book down. The writing was fantastic, and the imagery was extremely vivid. This is a unique story to which many can relate. If you read Delman's book, you will not be disappointed.

I liked this book a lot... quite unique, interesting and intriguing.
I highly recommend this book!