Mangoes and Quince: A Novel [Paperback]

Carol Field (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2002

An intoxicating novel about a woman who seduces an entire city with the exotic fare she creates in her home-run restaurant.

Best-selling cookbook author Carol Field turns her talent to fiction in Mangoes and Quince. A feast of the imagination, Mangoes and Quince tells the story of Miranda, abandoned in Amsterdam by her husband Anton, who disappeared into the South Seas. Marooned, but restlessly inspired, Miranda expresses her passion by cooking. But as the restaurant she builds in Anton's ancestral home grows increasingly popular-and along with it, Miranda-her daughter Diana recedes into a world of longing for her lost father.

Under the spell of a manipulative anthropologist, Diana sneaks into her father's two locked private rooms and unearths a trove of strange, local fetishes. Tucked within one sculpture, Diana finds a note from her father. . .

Part mystery, part love story, part family drama-and with original recipes scattered throughout-Mangoes and Quince is a lush and sensuous tale, sure to please.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Best known for In Nonna's Kitchen and other books celebrating Italian cuisine, Field gives food and cooking an important role in her debut novel. That should come as no surprise. More unexpected are the novel's settings--Amsterdam and the East Indies, in the early '60s--and overcomplicated plot. Abandoned by her South Seas-besotted husband, Anton, and not knowing whether he is dead or alive, Miranda Peeters lives with her daughter, Diana, and Anton's mother in Anton's family home in Amsterdam. Having no income, Miranda turns the once-grand family home into a boardinghouse for men and becomes known for the meals she provides. When her mother-in-law dies, Miranda decides to open a small restaurant in the house. But first the question of who has title to the property must be settled, and an investigator is sent off to the Spice Islands in search of Anton; this investigation is important to 13-year-old Diana, because she misses her father deeply and suspects he could understand her in ways her mother cannot. Parsing all these complex relationships would have been challenge enough for many a skilled novelist. Field ups the ante considerably, adding subplots about East Indies artifacts and a painting hidden away in the house in Amsterdam. More problematically, she involves Anton in sexual rites that overwhelm the story, crowding out the more delicate moments she tries to dramatize. When Field turns to the opening of Miranda's restaurant (and the quince and apple tart served that night), her writing soars. Unfortunately, more often it sinks, as she fails to illuminate her characters. (Feb.)Forecast: Many a cookbook has been carved out of a popular novelist's literary oeuvre, but Field's attempt to swim in the opposite direction--from culinary to literary renown--will likely prove less successful, though foodies may take note if copies are stocked around the cookbook section of bookstores.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This first novel by cookbook author Field (In Nonna's Kitchen) attempts to combine its narrative with lush, sensuous descriptions of food. After a nomadic family settles in Amsterdam, their bonds soon fall apart, and each family member finds some other obsession to fill the void. The father flees home to become an island cult leader, and in his absence, his wife opens a boardinghouse and restaurant, mixing cooking with romance in a way that seems more forced than believable. The daughter, whose best friend is a mango-eating monkey, insists on finding her lost father while continually dealing with her unemotional mother. The plot is disjointed at times, adding too many characters who are not vital to the story. The writing style generally flows well, but overall the novel tries too hard to satisfy all of the senses. Recommended for larger public libraries with strong literary fiction collections. Cecilia Cygnar, Niles P.L., IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (March 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582341958
• ISBN-13: 978-1582341958
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,585,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Feast for the Senses, March 2, 2001

By 

Mathea Falco (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mangoes and Quince: A Novel (Hardcover)

This extraordinary first novel carries the reader into fascinating, mysterious worlds: the Dutch East Indies, the exotic lives of a charismatic cult leader and his followers, and the adventures of a magical monkey named Majine. But the heart of the story is the poignant, moving coming of age of the book's main character. The reader is instantly seduced by the rich images and vivid depictions of both Amsterdam and the East Indies. But Field's descriptions of the sumptuous dishes created by Miranda in her new restaurant are so delicious that the reader is compelled to read more, and then to read again this remarkable novel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!!, August 3, 2003

By 

V. Rudd "Ex Libris" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mangoes and Quince: A Novel (Paperback)

I was wandering through the bookstore one afternoon and just picked this up randomly. I can honestly say this is my favourite "pick up" so far, and I pick up many different books. Carol Field is very passionate in her detail, and the characters' stories are ones that you feel personally despite the (at times) exotic locale.

I felt an indifference towards Miranda at first, but I did admire her tenacity. Of the 3 generations of women in that house, I felt the most compassion for the eldest and the youngest, but I guess I understood most where Miranda was coming from......

This is a wonderful book, a captivating read, and a perfect rainy afternoon escape. It won't take you long to finish it!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Writing, Awkward Transitions, June 26, 2002

By 

Sonja (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mangoes and Quince: A Novel (Hardcover)

Though the book dealt with interesting material and exotic themes, I felt in some ways that the flow of the book was a bit awkward at times. There is more of the impression of having different episodes that together make up the story, with little transition between them. For example, the daughter's coming of age and relationship with her mother and grandmother could have been developed and explored much more to my satisfaction.

Field's writing style however is delicious and thouroughly enjoyed it. I am interested in readng her other work.