Tastes Like Seeing God
A Novel
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Tastes Like Seeing God
Pre-order for $27.89
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Narrated by:
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By:
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Nina Michiko Tam
In the days following her brother’s death, Jessie Wong is adrift and angry: at Tommy, her rebellious older brother and a world-traveling chef, for dying; at her parents for their silence and rigidity; and at the confines of her conservative Christian Chinese upbringing. Then Jessie finds a list in Tommy’s handwriting: the five meals that he claimed “taste like seeing God.” Was his phrasing blasphemy, or a nod to some hidden belief? Is it pure chance that the list came to her, or is this fate offering her the chance to know her brother in a new way?
Breaking from her parents for the first time, Jessie decides to take up her brother’s unexpected challenge. With a one-way ticket, she embarks on a whirlwind pilgrimage to taste the five foods on the list. From the gritty bars of New York City to a three-Michelin-starred restaurant on a tiny German island in the North Sea, from the art world of Paris to the markets of Dakar, Jessie meets the people who loved and inspired her brother, getting to know the sibling she lost and the life he’d built. As Jessie begins to realize how much more of the world is out there, perhaps a future she’d never dared to envision for herself is now within her grasp.
Flavored with illegal French delicacies and famed Senegalese dishes, Tastes Like Seeing God explores the transcendent power of food, the transformative nature of grief, and how we can learn to choose a life on our own terms. With emotional truth and surprising humor, Tastes Like Seeing God is a poignant exploration of life’s sorrows and its sublime joys.
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Critic Reviews
Praise for Tastes Like Seeing God
“A canon-expanding odyssey of place, taste, and the infinite space a heart can hold. With virtuosity and warmth, Tam's prose explores blood-ties, love lines, and grace through Jessie's quest to understand herself and the shifting world around her. Tam's prose is epic and irreverent; Tastes Like Seeing God is a delight.”—Bryan Washington, National Book Award finalist and author of Palaver and Memorial
“Tastes Like Seeing God is a decadent, heartfelt, and bittersweet exploration of grief, self-determination, and family. This novel had me craving my favorite dishes while longing to call my loved ones. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. Nina Michiko Tam is a new talent to watch, and in her debut, she has gifted us a veritable feast for all senses.”—Qian Julie Wang, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Country
“A meditation on grief, family, and the healing power of food, Tastes Like Seeing God is a masterful debut. Nina Michiko Tam’s deft, confident prose brings the food industry to life, taking you from each delectable mouthful to the pain behind the curtain. This book will make you cry and crave a delicious meal at the same time.”—Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi
“A novel that breaks the heart then lovingly puts it back together again, Nina Michiko Tam’s Tastes Like Seeing God is glorious. A masterful paean to food and the worlds of memory it holds for those who make it and those who eat it. A book has not made me feel as sad, happy and hungry as this one has in a very long time.”— Jinwoo Chong, author of I Leave It Up to You and Flux
“A canon-expanding odyssey of place, taste, and the infinite space a heart can hold. With virtuosity and warmth, Tam's prose explores blood-ties, love lines, and grace through Jessie's quest to understand herself and the shifting world around her. Tam's prose is epic and irreverent; Tastes Like Seeing God is a delight.”—Bryan Washington, National Book Award finalist and author of Palaver and Memorial
“Tastes Like Seeing God is a decadent, heartfelt, and bittersweet exploration of grief, self-determination, and family. This novel had me craving my favorite dishes while longing to call my loved ones. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. Nina Michiko Tam is a new talent to watch, and in her debut, she has gifted us a veritable feast for all senses.”—Qian Julie Wang, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Country
“A meditation on grief, family, and the healing power of food, Tastes Like Seeing God is a masterful debut. Nina Michiko Tam’s deft, confident prose brings the food industry to life, taking you from each delectable mouthful to the pain behind the curtain. This book will make you cry and crave a delicious meal at the same time.”—Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi
“A novel that breaks the heart then lovingly puts it back together again, Nina Michiko Tam’s Tastes Like Seeing God is glorious. A masterful paean to food and the worlds of memory it holds for those who make it and those who eat it. A book has not made me feel as sad, happy and hungry as this one has in a very long time.”— Jinwoo Chong, author of I Leave It Up to You and Flux
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