The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake – Aimee Bender (Windmill Books, £6.99)

There is an age-old adage that food cooked with love tastes better. Rose Edelstein, a seemingly normal girl discovers her “gift” at the tender age of nine – the ability to taste the feelings of the people who make the food she eats. From her mothers’ chocolate lemon cake to the school cafeteria sandwiches, she is able to feel the emotional state of the chef – happiness, anger, sadness and resentment.

Intriguing and poignantly written, Rose’s unique family experiences their own fragmented lives while she begins to come to grips with the world around her. There are a few aspects of the storyline that are a touch tangential and the author controversially casts away speech marks, which makes for an interesting read – but one that you can sink into.

It certainly begs the question – would you really want to know every single nuance of a persons thoughts and feelings? Maybe food made with love really does taste better.

Emma Creese, Residential Secretary, Howard de Walden Estates