Customer Reviews

The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue: A Novel

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just finished THE GODDESSES OF KITCHEN AVENUE by Barbara Samuel and knew the first thing I had to do is tell others how wonderful this book is! To say it is brilliant is an understatement. I've always liked her writing but this one is the best she has ever done. I loved all these woman and was sucked into each and every one of their stories. I have one small complaint though and that is the cover. The cover shows several Caucasian woman in what looks like their 30s sitting around a table. In reality, the book features a black woman in her 80s, a mixed-race woman in her early 30s (IIRC), a white woman in her 20s, and a white woman in her 40s. There are only a few times in the book when they're even in the same room together. But that doesn't really take away from this wonderful story, there's romance, yes. But there is even more. I think the main theme of this book would be the empowerment of women. All these women find out something about themselves and that they can be individuals with or without a man in their lives. It is a true keeper and a book that is sure to get Barbara Samuel notice in more than just the romance community. I would say this book is at least on par with Gaffney's THE SAVING GRACES.

The story touches on a group of women, each going through a life crisis. The main character is Trudy Marino. She is 46 years-old and separated from, Rick, her husband of over 20 years. At the beginning of the book, Trudy's next door neighbor, Roberta Williams, has JUST become a widow. She had been with Edgar, her husband, for over 60 years.

Roberta's granddaughter, Jade, comes to help. Jade is going through her own male problems (with Dante) and takes up kick boxing to vent her frustrations. Though Trudy is the main character, Jade seemed to steal the spot light often. I looked forward to her chapters most.

The book is written in first person view and each chapter gives the name of the person whom the chapter represents. Sometimes the chapter is one of the other women in the group, but not often, such as Shannelle (another neighbor). But again I point out that Trudy, Jade, and often Roberta are the focus.

**** Now do not go thinking of the movie "First Wives Club", as I did, when you pick up this little gem. THIS tale is actually realistic! The author, Barbara Samuel, even included what looked like copies of emails sent to and fro the women. (I wonder if Hopefuls at yahoogroups.com is real. I will have to look that up. Hmmm...)

All-in-all, I found this to be a charming and modern day book with people that almost seemed real to me. Barbara Samuel's talent clearly shines through on every page! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Don't you just hate it when the cover artist obviously didn't read the book? I picked this up thinking "Sweet Potato Queens" or "Jennifer Cruisie" or one of those sassy chick lit tomes. Instead, I'm finding understanding and strength and comfort - and LOTS of insight and wisdom.

The story revolves around 4 neighbor women - from all walks of life and ethnicities - and one ghost. Roberta has just lost her husband of 60+ years; Trudy is on the brink of an empty nest when she discovers her husband's affair and throws him out; Roberta's granddaughter Jade is freshly out of a demoralizing marriage; and Shanelle is an escapee from white trailer trash, with two young sons and a macho husband who doesn't begin to understand her need to write. The women's boxing element nearly turned me from the book, but ended up being an interesting element. And the ghost Lucille was after my own middle aged, adventure seeking heart. The strength of women comes through in each page, not brassy or sassy, but faithful and steadfast and caring.

One particularly inspiring quote picked up the place in life where I live: "But the evening looms. The house thunders with emptiness. How could my old life be over so suddenly that after years and years of never having a minute to draw my breath now I have so much time that I feel myself sinking into it like quicksand, drowning in it? A mother finished. A wife dismissed."

Barbara Samuel's The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue is the most moving book I've read this year. Her prose is rich and lyrical, her characters become as real as your own friends. And they are grown ups, with realistic heart breaks and triumphs. I wanted to savor this book and take my time over each gorgeous page, but I'm too weak. I gobbled it up in one sitting.

Okay, The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue is a less than great book that I enjoyed and actually stayed up til 1:30 last night to finish. Yet I know that Barbara Samuel has written much better books.

It's one of those multiple character books that one feels is aimed at multiple markets - not a good feeling.

The major character is Trudy, who at 46 discovers that her husband Rick is having an affair. Trudy takes a tire iron and breaks the windows in his truck [way to go, girl], kicks him out, then realizes that she does really love him. For Trudy most of the novel's action involves looking back on the choices that she didn't make and try to decide where she should go from here. I did find Trudy and Rick's story to be riveting - he done her wrong, they both know it, but now what?

There's Jade, a beautiful bi-racial social worker whose ex-husband is doing time, and who has come to Kitchen Avenue to care for her recently widowed grandmother. Jade's ambition is to be a boxer. [yep, she wants to be r-e-a-l-l-y strong]

Jade's grandmother, Roberta, has just lost her greatly loved husband of sixty-two years. She's faced with the decision of just how hard she's willing to fight to go on with her life.

For me the least interesting character was Shannelle [her mom thought she was naming her after the perfume.] Shannelle is an aspiring writer. She's from a rather trashy background, married to a dependable blue collar hispanic guy, and requires constant encouragement to 'follow her dream.'

I liked Trudy, Rick, and their kids enough to read this one again. Next time I'll skip over whiney Shannelle.

Barbara Samuel captured me with her first and second books, and with THE GODDESSES OF KITCHEN AVENUE I am hooked on anything she writes. I love the flow of her writing and the way she casts her characters who are obviously born right out of her heart and sent straight into the readers'. Anyone who has been hurt by infidelity will find this to be close to the real feelings you go through although Trudy's errant husband, Rick, might be a bit different from the usual adulterer. Still, you have hope for them. I think that's probably what I like the most about Samuel's novels - the hope, the desire, the passion, the strength, and the realism of relationships that are doomed and relationships that are meant to be. Call me a romantic, but keep those stories coming!

A woman whose marriage is in crisis, a young struggling writer, a woman boxer and a grieving grandmother--these are some of the women of Kitchen Avenue. Their unique stories intertwine to bring readers a wonderful comfort read as each of them finds her bliss. Light some candles, pour some wine, and sink down into this lush, sensual book by Barbara Samuels

I can't belive I've never read this author until now. She totally rocks and writes like a house on fire. I loved this story of a strong woman in the midst of a marital crisis. The characters and settings are so vivid, I wanted to meet them and visit her house with the stained glass windows and the awesome greenhouse attached where she kept her little goddess altar. A strong, wise story of the nature of love, forgiveness and well, a little getting even thrown in for good measure! I can't wait to read her other books!!! I highly recommend it!!

Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue is a rich, warm, sensual, laughing and crying look at the lives of four women struggling with life and death and marriage. Trudy is separated from the love of her life, who cheated on her after more than 20 years of marriage. While Trudy works on personal healing and revisits her dreams of studying poetry in Spain, her neighbor Roberta is mourning the death of her husband Edgar after 62 years of a great marriage. Shanelle, the young mother next door, is beginning a writer career despite the jealous resistance of her young husband. Jade, a fiery social worker, comes home to tend to her grandmother Roberta and work out her divorce anger in the boxing ring. As rich as a country quilt, this novel leads us from the heart of one woman to another. Goddesses is intricate as a family saga, but the generations are alive and dealing with life on one block and all at the same time. Warning: This book kept me up until 4 a.m. because it was too good to put down. It's a book about the friendships real women have and how those friendships help us navigate through life, love, men, children and our own fantasies. And did I mention the rich sensory details? Samuel is a master of sensual details, and the book is full of contrasts that surpised and delighted me. My best read of the year.

I found this a thoroughly absorbing read - in fact, I stayed up reading until 3 am because I couldn't put it down. The writing is lyrical, poetic and sensual, yet grounded in reality and never over the top artsy. The three central female characters all had problems that resonated with my experience, and all the characters (including the men) seemed very real, well rounded individuals. These are *not* cardboard characters marching through plot complications. The book is at heart a love story about permanent attachments - to men, to children, to friends, as well as to one's "proper job" (as Dorothy Sayers put it). I highly recommend it. I would also add, don't read a lot of the earlier reviews -- they give away too many things, and some of the reviewers apparently read a whole nother book. Five stars plus.