"You don't measure love." ~ pg.64
Mae learns what happens when things go south. She always wanted to connect with her estranged Black family in the South, growing up picturing relatives that looked like her, crowded dinner tables, bustling kitchens and traditional family barbecues. The same barbecues that kept her late father returning every year but mysteriously leaving her behind.
As Mae's wedding draws closer and no one from the Townsend family responding to the invitations, she decides to head South. What she finds is a family in disaster and grief, a long-standing grudge, secrets and a lost food recipe.
Being the newbie in the family, Mae steps up and volunteers to host a barbecue four days before her wedding. Most importantly, she hopes to win favor and figure out the recipe of her deceased grandmother's famous mac n' cheese for the prized dish. What a task!
Author Shauna Robinson says her goal was to write the book she wanted to read. Job well done! This novel satisfied the goal from a reader's perspective too. It might have been a slow burn but it was a complete story that left no plot stone unturned. I wish the pace was a bit quicker but came to realize this is the best way for family drama to be told and fully fleshed out to a satisfying ending.
The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster is the first book I've read by Shauna Robinson but certainly will not be the last. I recommend for local book clubs to read and for audiobook listeners as they cook mac n' cheese for barbecues this summer.
Happy Early Pub Day, Shauna Robinson! The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster will be available Tuesday, July 2.
Title: The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster
Author: Shauna Robinson
Published: July 2024
Pages: 257
Edition: Galley
Genre: Family Drama
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
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