in the kitchen

i read about in the kitchen by monica ali at the beginning of the summer in the chicago tribune book section. although I was never able to complete ali's earlier novel, bricklane, this one had a more appealing (and seemingly creative) storyline. my roommate recently checked it out of the library and this seemed the perfect time to give the newest monica ali book a chance. as i began to read, the story seemed to simply tell the story of gabe lightfoot, the head chef at a fancy london hotel. this first half of the novel highlights the many frustrations of gabe's life: his job, his ambition, his family, his girlfriend, his international coworkers.

overall, i found liked the book but it seemed at times to lack direction. the first two hundred pages slowly builds to the second half of the book where the plot develops more quickly and strangely. as the book progresses, ali addresses more serious topics than simply the life of a chef as she attempts to incorporate issues of bipolar disorders, prostitution, and the role of human trafficking in modern london. while these turns are fairly surprising and seem a little out of place, the characters are so well developed that i felt compelled to keep reading despite the somewhat disjointed story line.

in the kitchen is a pretty easy read and certainly held my attention, but the trajectory of the story line may leave the reader surprised and a little confused. i recommend the book for anyone interested in cooking, multiculturalism, or london but the treatment of human trafficking is light and perhaps incomplete. if you're looking for a serious discussion or appraisal of trafficking, look else where.

In the Kitchen
by Monica Ali