GOOD TALK

“Sometimes, you are looking right at a person but you cannot see her … In that place where you thought you would find a certain kind of woman there is someone you cannot begin to imagine. You look right at her and shut your eyes, as if she is made of sun.”
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Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations, is Mira Jacobs’s graphic novel that explores being Indian in America, from the author’s childhood through her life as a mother. The book was inspired by her young son’s complicated questions about race and culture, and how these raised more confusion in her than answers. First, she realized, there must be a deeper understanding of her own identity, both past and present, including family, tradition, color, marriage, and love.
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Last summer, I made the pilgrimage to @booksaremagicbk , where @emmastraub (!!!) happened to be behind the counter. After graciously enduring some zero-chill-fangirling on my part, with warmth and thoughtfulness she curated a summer reading stack for me, which included Good Talk: my favorite of all. Told through anecdotes that are alternately hilarious, enraging, and moving, Good Talk is one of those books where you feel a bit changed by the last page. It’s clever and original, with sharp dialogue and a fantastic structure. Highly, highly recommend this one - I’m still thinking about it months later.
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It’s December, and that means my account is a cookies-only zone! For this book, I made ginger chai masala cookies decorated in the mehndi style, from Puja Thomas Patel’s @indiaphileblog . She describes returning from a trip to India one December, too jet lagged to bake, and then finding inspiration in these festive and beautiful treats for the holidays. WOW, these were so much fun to make and decorate! Next I want to try her mamra chikki (puffed rice brittle) which looks amazing!