Abandoned: "Out of the Frying Pan" by Gillian Clark

Out of the Frying Pan: A Chef's Memoir of Hot Kitchens, Single Motherhood, and the Family Meal by Gillian Clark

Genre: nonfiction
From my TBR list?: Yes


My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The author's disjointed method of storytelling turned me off. The third chapter of the book, which was about her childhood and how she developed her love of cooking, should have been the first chapter. If it had been, then I wouldn't have struggled through the first 60 pages.

I believe that even if I am reading a memoir or a biography, the story should be told in a way that makes me care about what happens next. Clark jumped straight into the account of how her husband left her with two kids and no job before telling me how she got to that point. Why should I care about how much working under a famous cook meant to her when she hasn't told me about how an afternoon snack meant love in her family? Maybe linear storytelling is considered old-fashioned, but I need a bit of a build-up.

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