Plenty

In Howard's first memoir, Feast, she navigates her eating disorder in her early adulthood and the beginning of her career in the food industry. Now in recovery, Howard recounts the next phases of life (getting married, trying to get pregnant, getting pregnant, getting a dog, buying a house, etc.) through her relationships with other women, mostly in the food industry, that have inspired her through their strength, determination, and love of food.

I'll be honest, I didn't enjoy this. I enjoyed her first memoir well enough, but this one was just kind of boring. She weaves her personal narrative into chapters about inspiring women she's met in the food industry – who honestly, felt more like convenient or happenstance choices vs actually impactful or inspiring to her. This structure detracted from the memoir; it reads more like interviews done for a magazine. The bits about her life, though personal and vulnerable, felt disjointed with the other content. And I hate to say it, but the author just wasn't particularly interesting or likable. I can totally appreciate that she is a sensitive woman, and has faced hardships, but it really seems like she crumbles into tears at the slightest provocation, and generally doesn't have much personality. I don't want to be mean, but it felt like this book was rushed together & poorly edited to get done just after her pregnancy.