Blood, Bones, and Butter—the title piqued my curiosity. For the audiobook, Hamilton has a pretty straight tone as a reader, which made me hesitant at first, but it’s true to her personality and works surprisingly well for me as a listener. I generally enjoy biographical pieces, and this was no exception. Hamilton begins by recounting various trials that influenced her skills and approach as a chef, then her focus shifts more to her wavering, nontraditional relationship with her “Italian Italian” husband and in-laws.
Readers who appreciate deep emotional reflection may find this to be lacking. However, the author’s experiences growing up, traveling, forming relationships, and of course cooking, are so different from my own cookie-cutter life, so I enjoyed vicariously following her journey. It ended before I was ready to stop listening. Luckily, I happened upon a short article about Hamilton and her Italian in-laws from the May 2011 issue of Bon Appetit magazine that was a nice epilogue to her book; see it here: http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2011/05/gabrielle-hamilton-family-meal?currentPage=1.