The Skinny
(aka Back of the Book Summary in a Sentence)
An undocumented immigrant from Guatemala sparks a relationship between two elderly scholars, Richard and Lucia.
Nutritional Value
(aka What’s Good)
I enjoy the writing style and the main character. Lucia is an older woman, 62 years old, she’s Chilean, and she makes Chilean soup.
Loneliness seems to be a central theme and I like that a lot. No one talks about being alone anymore. Much of the chapter is about boredom, loneliness, and the past. That’s how I think loneliness feels. Boring. When I’m bored, I think about the past. So, good on you, Isabel Allende.
Freezer Burn
(aka What’s Bad)
She craves human contact, so I don’t relate to her at all. It must be a cultural thing.
Also, she invited her landlord to have dinner with her. He declined, though. Who does that? It’s free soup! I love soup! I once drank like 9 bowls in one meal at Souplantation. With Lucia, I wouldn’t even have to go to Souplantation anymore, I could just go home.
She made it all from scratch too! I’m jealous of these fictional characters, seriously… Richard, you’re lucky this site isn’t FirstBowl.
Lingering Aftertaste
(aka My Prediction)
This sounds like a story about an older woman finding love. But then he’ll have one fatal flaw that’ll challenge everything. All while being under the disguise of a political commentary about immigration.
Taste Test Verdict
(aka Would I Read More?)
It deserves a second scoop. Allende paints a charming image of finding love and loneliness for people who are older. It’s also well-written, so that’s a plus!
Memorable Morsel
(aka Quotable Quote)
Richard, you fool, how dare you decline free soup? Some people just don’t know how good they have it…
Lucia: “I guess it would be stupid to ask you to come and keep me company for a while. I made Chilean soup.”
Richard: “Is it vegetarian?”
Lucia: “No. Well, never mind, Richard. Good night.”
Richard: “Good night”
Would you turn down free soup? Leave a comment below!
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Tim enjoys playing guitar and memorizing all the words to his favorite pop songs. When he’s traveling, catch him on planes reading from his trusty Kindle.