A book club dedicated to discussing books by black authors. Join us on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Please contact asipple-mcgraw@lexpublib.org for a reserved library copy of the featured title.
Join us this month to discuss PraiseSong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson. Light snacks and beverages will be provided.
Please contact asipple-mcgraw@lexpublib.org or stop by the Eastside Circulation Desk for a copy of the book.
People are always surprised that Black people reside in the hills of Appalachia. Those not surprised that we were there, are surprised that we stayed.
Years ago, when O. Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake, she felt her late grandmother’s presence. She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen; there were her ancestors, too, stirring, measuring, and braising alongside her. These are her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who settled in Appalachia and made a life, a legacy, and a cuisine.
An expert cook, Wilkinson shares nearly forty family recipes rooted deep in the past, full of flavor—delicious favorites including Corn Pudding, Chicken and Dumplings, Granny Christine’s Jam Cake, and Praisesong Biscuits, brought to vivid life through stunning photography. Together, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts honors the mothers who came before, the land that provided for generations of her family, and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia.
As the keeper of her family’s stories and treasured dishes, Wilkinson shares her inheritance in Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. She found their stories in her apron pockets, floating inside the steam of hot mustard greens and tucked into the sweet scent of clove and cinnamon in her kitchen. Part memoir, part cookbook, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts weaves those stories together with recipes, family photos, and a lyrical imagination to present a culinary portrait of a family that has lived and worked the earth of the mountains for over a century.- From the Publisher
- From the Publisher
Mon, Apr 22 | 9:30AM to 7:00PM |
Tue, Apr 23 | 9:30AM to 7:00PM |
Wed, Apr 24 | 9:30AM to 7:00PM |
Thu, Apr 25 | 9:30AM to 7:00PM |
Fri, Apr 26 | 9:30AM to 6:00PM |
Sat, Apr 27 | 9:30AM to 5:00PM |
Sun, Apr 28 | 1:00PM to 5:00PM |
The Eastside Branch is located near the intersection of Man 'o War Boulevard and Palumbo Drive.