Author: Kristien Dieltiens
Genre: Historical Fiction
Subject: Servants Household
Publisher: Clavis
Release date: July, 2009
Length: 239 pages
I got this book: Through Bookcrossing
Papinette is a fatherless child from one of the kitchen maids in a rich household. She knows what she want and is strong willed and this isn't always appreciated by the adults in her life. She learns about life through food, smells and nature.She makes friends with the son of the household, to much dismay from his mother. This is the story of how Papinette grows from child into adulthood as a servant girl in Antwerpen, Belgium of the 16th century and gives an impression of the life back then.
Personal opinion:
First of all, I am not sure if this book is translated into English or not but I wanted to write a review about it because it fits the foodies reading challenge. The book was a bit slow going for me, but I did enjoy reading it. Papinette is an enjoyable character who made me laugh throughout the book. She started out as a strong girl and even though she has to endure plenty of hardships as she grew older, she stayed strong through all of it. Other than that I liked the impressions of the life back then that I got through this book. A lot of it is spend in the kitchen of the household and the kind of food they prepared. Art is another subject that gets touched. In fact the book is inspired by a series of paintings that portrayed the same two women in every day life scenes. The book is funny, realistic and bitter-sweet.
I liked it!
Purchase links: Bol.com
Challenges: Foodies Reading Challenge
Other reviews: None yet.
If you have reviewed this book and want your link here, please leave a comment with the link, and I will add it :)
That sounds like a great way to learn the history of an interesting period.
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