Sofrito Paperback – 25 August 2015

Phillippe and I went to graduate school together for creative writing, and I got to see bits and pieces of SOFRITO in workshop. I loved the parts I read, but nothing beats being able to read the finished book. AND IT IS FANTASTIC.This is a novel about the power and nostalgia that food brings to our lives. At the center is the mouth-watering chicken recipe that could save Frank and his family from having to shut down their restaurant, but Frank must travel to Cuba to steal the recipe - a dangerous task since the recipe is considered government property.The danger Frank encounters once he gets to Cuba left me breathless, but it was tempered with surprising friendships, family secrets unearthed, lots of mojitos, and unexpected love.Even though Frank hadn't been born in Cuba, both of his parents were from there, and it was wonderful and moving to see how Frank connected with Cuba on so many levels and experienced a kind of nostalgia despite never have been there before. So many great characters too: I loved Michi and Orlando and Marisol stole my heart as quickly as she did Frank's.I can't wait to read more of Phillippe's work :D

In the penultimate chapter of Sofrito, debut author Phillippe Diederich quotes Guillermo Cabrera Infante: "Cuba is all about food. And food is nothing more than a metaphor for nostalgia." Sofrito is a comic and bittersweet look at Frank Delgado, the son of Cuban exiles, who travels to Havana in search of a top-secret recipe that he hopes will save his failing restaurant in New York City. Along the way, he encounters a host of crazy characters, finds love, and discovers his sense of self. This contemporary picaresque, named a novel of note by the Los Angeles Times, pleases on many different levels.

I have a long relationship with Cuba, although I have never been. When I was a teen, my family took in two boys who were sent by their parents to the US as part of Operation Peter Pan. I know many Cubans in the Tampa Bay area and they all have strong feelings about Cuba. Through this book I began to understand the complexities of being a refugee better than I ever had. I would like to visit Cuba one day and this book will help me understand it when I do.

What a fun read! Following a Cuban-American through his trip to a Cuba he's never seen before in search of help for his New York restaurant is great! The characters and the settings are so well-written, it's as if you're right there. I needed help with a few Spanish words sprinkled in, but it was a fast and really enjoyable book!

It is entirely Sofrito's fault that I have gotten to bed late three nights in a row! I am hooked and once I pick it up, I cannot put it down. This is a really entertaining read that allows you to visualize the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Cuba so vividly, it is like being there. Plus, there is a love story, and intrigue, a lot of intrigue. What more can you ask for?!