Personal Review

I found Tender at the Bone to be an interesting memoir that was ultimately shaped by its central theme. The ever-presence of food in the story not only reflected Reichl’s passion for cooking but also allowed the book to avoid becoming too depressing. Reichl, and the people in her life, experience unfortunate and melancholy issues ranging from mental conditions to failed dreams, but food always seems to intervene throughout the pages, distracting the reader and lightening the mood. Alice apparently influenced Reichl by having her adopt the practice of cooking when things are tense, and subsequently writing about cooking when situations are tense also. Another strong point of this book is that the people in Reichl’s life seem as though they are manufactured characters from a novel. Although at first this may sound like a bad thing, in my opinion it is the opposite. An author goes to extraordinary lengths to develop a character throughout a novel, shaping him or her with experiences, personality, etc. However, the people Reichl meets are already so perfectly suited to be in this book. They all tie into the theme and contribute in some way. No character lacks an underlying story or unique personality. Reichl takes advantage of this by discussing these people in detail as well as allow the reader to determine how they shaped Reichl into the person she is today. While it is true that there is something to be said about every character, I feel as thought there were rich stories that were unfortunately left out of the memoir. Reichl’s brother is briefly mentioned as is her biological grandmother.