Recipes For Melissa - Teresa O'Driscoll

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book in exchange for 

an honest review from NetGalley.

 

Melissa Dance is turning twenty-five years old.  Her mother Eleanore passed away from cancer when Melissa was only eight years old.  Elenore started a journal in August 1994 and made plans with her attorney to have the journal given to Melissa on her twenty-fifth birthday.  Melissa's father Max does not know this journal exists.

 

Eleanore's original idea for the journal was to only include recipes that were handed down from her mother and grandmother and to included photos of her and Melissa cooking throughout the book.  The journal turned into a way for Eleanore to share her thoughts and wisdom to help her grown-up daughter.  She chose age twenty-five because that was the age she gave birth to Melissa.

 

 

The chapters throughout this book rotate from Melissa's point of view in present day (2011,) Eleanore's writing of the book and dealings with cancer back in 1994 and Max's issues in the present.  This book definitely keeps you interested in wanting to find out what Eleanore has to say next in the journal and what possible secrets she has to tell her daughter.

 

This book is heartwarming, heart wrenching, nostalgic, full of emotions and extremely realistic.  It could very well be a true story.  You will also find yourself wanting to make some of the recipes included throughout the journal, so be prepared to save them for later!