Wednesday, June 17, 2009

REVIEW: Forbidden Bread, by Erica Johnson Debeljak

Forbidden Bread, by Erica Johnson Debeljak. Published 2009 by North Atlantic Books. Memoir.

I read this book courtesy of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.

Forbidden Bread is Erica Johnson Debeljak's memoir of moving to Slovenia to be with her boyfriend, poet Aleš Debeljak. The book follows her journey and their relationship from its beginnings in New York City, when Erica, as an American, was considered "forbidden bread"- someone that Aleš wasn't supposed to fall in love with. But fall in love they do, and before long she's leaving it all behind to settle into the newly-minted country of Slovenia, fresh from its split from the former Yugoslavia.

Debeljak covers a variety of experiences and topics, from her wedding planning, language lessons and food shopping, as well as the history and culture of the region. Her treatment of politics strikes me as a tad superficial though and she's at her best when she's staying close to home; the chapters about her first pregnancy and the birth of their first child is funny and scary and easy to relate to- culture clashes range from when to wear socks to how to diaper a baby. Debeljak writes an engaging fish-out-of-water story and comes across as likable and interesting. She also peppers the book with photographs of friends and family, bringing her convincing characterizations to life.

The book is pleasant enough, though the first few chapters read more like chick lit and it took me a while to settle into the flow of the narrative. Debeljak is a fine, competent writer and the book is quite accessible and readable, but I would recommend the book to those who are interested in the Balkans and already fairly well-informed as to the region's recent history. Forbidden Bread is a personal memoir, not a history, and I think a reader with no other background in the region might feel lost. I wouldn't call Forbidden Bread electrifying reading but it's enjoyable and light, and provides an interesting glimpse into the culture of a little-known country.

Rating: BORROW

FTC Disclosure: I received this book from LibraryThing.com for a review to be shared with its users. LibraryThing is not affiliated with the publisher.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

A couple years ago, I was into all things Bulgarian, but lately I've been more into Asian lit. I love reading books that give you that "day in a life" understanding of other people. Dunno if this'll be a book I'll get, but it might jump into my library bag, unbeknownst to me :-D

wisteria said...

Hi Marie,
Thanks for the honest review. I don't think I'll rush out and pick a copy up as I know little about the Balkans. I'll take you up on that advice. :)

bermudaonion said...

I don't know much about the Balkans, so I think I'll skip this one.

Blodeuedd said...

If it struck you a bit chick-lit in the beginning then this might just be the book for me to read one day

Meytal Radzinski said...

Even if you were more enthusiastic, I'd probably opt for a plain history book on the region. There's so much to say about the Balkans, it's too bad the book doesn't have much history.

Anna said...

I don't know much about the area, but it does sound like an interesting story. Thanks for the review.

--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric

Zibilee said...

This sounds a bit like a book I read a few months ago called Honeymoon in Tehran. Though the geographical settings are different, it sounds like much the same kind of story. Awesome review. You made me want to pick this one up.

Gilion at Rose City Reader said...

Very good review! Although I liked the book more than you did. I finally posted my review on Rose City Reader today.

If you would like me to list your review on my post, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it. I don't like to add links without asking.