Whiskey In a Teacup

First things first: yes, this is a very white, upper-class version of the South, and it does sit pretty close to the surface as far as what “Southern” means (I mean, Dolly Parton yes, and like six ways to say “bless your heart” with different inflections and have it mean different things, sure, but none of this is new).

I did take photos of some of the recipes, since I have to give this back to my mom and there were a few I'd like to try. And I did like the glimpses of Witherspoon's grandparents and the lessons they taught her. The photos were pretty, the decor was pretty, her outfits were pretty. And um, damn it seems like white upper-class Southern ladies throw a lot of parties?

I think I've mentioned this in other reviews, but I don't need authors to harp on atrocities that have nothing to do with their book subjects, and I at least appreciated that Witherspoon at least seems to be aware of her level of privilege, but it would have been nice if she had mentioned at all, in any way, that her version of the South is idealized, and could not exist if not for the institution of slavery. She does mention a few books by black authors, and focuses briefly on black beauty parlors in the chapter on hot-rollering one's hair. So she's not unaware, it just feels like it's not really part of her life. (I'm trying to decide then, was it worth including at all, if there's no acknowledgement of history?)

I liked it well enough to talk to my mom about it, which is about what I expected.