Comfort Me with Apples

Comfort Me with Apples

by Ruth Reichl

A fun book to finish on my birthday as it captures things that I love…the journey of life, great food (I wish I knew how to cook!), and the gift of children (especially when one doesn’t expect them).  The book Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl tells of the author’s real-life journey through her early-thirties as a wife struggling to become a writer (a food critic at that!). Ruth and her husband, Doug, move from the east coast to the west coast and live in the quintessential Berkeley commune, a shared experience among the ‘hippie’ crowd of the 60’s.  Doug’s life as an artist starts to take off as Ruth begins to gain some modest success as a food critic.  Doug is constantly traveling, which leads Ruth to the arms of one affair followed by a second.  Ruth’s travels for her new role as a food critic take her to China, LA, and many other destinations around the world.  Eventually the marriage dissolves, and she, against her mother’s wishes, falls in love with another man, Michael, who is a producer for a television news station.  The final chapter of the book captures the couple’s inability to have a child and their decision to go with the adoption process. After receiving a newborn, the mother changes her mind, and a legal battle ensues with Michael and Ruth losing Gavi, the child they were raising for a few months.  The book ends after a trip to Barcelona for Ruth and a group of her food critic peers, returning home to find an unbelievable reality….  I won’t break the news on what happens.  The book is very special, sharing a life story of growth and adventure.  And each chapter ends with a recipe capturing the what was learned from the chapter.  Yes, food is comfort, but so is love, being with those one loves, and the ability to rise up after even the worst of circumstances.  A precious book that I’d suggest reading with some good food.