Pascale Le Draoulec

I wanted to really like this book, but it got tiresome after a while. The first part of the book is interesting, but then the pace sort of slows down once she gets to New York, and then goes back on the road. It may seem interesting, but also a bit ridiculous how the author often barges in uninvited into places in search of pie( she crashes a funeral, and she ends up with her off-and-on boyfriend eating Thanksgiving dinner with total strangers, for instance). I like books about road trips and the interesting stops you make along the way, but the author just could not keep the pace apparently. After a while it is more a catalog of "went here, then there, there was pie, no pie, let's barge in there" with no more development than that. Once she got done with the initial road trip, the book just dragged on and on (she probably could have ended it with the arrival in New York and a nice epilogue). I think some of the characters and people could have been developed a bit more. When she gets a sketch right, she gets it right, but a lot is glossed over too. The book does have some nice black and white photos. And recipes are included; some recipes are from people she met, but others come from vintage cookbooks or other sources to suit a scene or because she was unable to get a local recipe.

The book does give insight into a culture that seems to be vanishing. How many people do you know still make pie from scratch? There are not that many left unfortunately. But I wish the book would have been so much better given such a quintessentially American topic.… (mehr)

The author is a first generation American who had only tried pie once in her life before deciding to make it her mission while driving from the West Coast to NYC for a new job. With a series of friends tagging in for the ride and many known destinations to get to, she also makes it a rule to seek out recommendations along the way. Talking about pie is quite an ice-breaker with strangers.
This ended up being a series of long road trips to seek out regional specialties. Since the author had never tasted even basic pies before, like lemon meringue or cherry, it's a fun adventure to go along as she seeks out a pie maker who works with olalieberries or sweet potatoes or white bean custard. She meets bakers who are near one hundred and one who is still in elementary school. Nearly each chapter ends with one or two recipes from the people she meets. This is a relaxing read, but it definitely made me want pie.… (mehr)