Thomas Fox Averill

Based on the ballad Tennessee Stud, in which a man is forced to abandon his home by the Pa and brother (or brothers) of his sweetheart. After a long journey to Mexico and back he returns, claims his sweetheart as his own, (after "whupping" her family) and they and the horse are able to settle down to a peaceful and fruitful life. Averill's adaptation is colorful and vivid, and it felt like a recreation of Homer's Odyssey in a western setting.

A culinary novel with a twist. Wes is the son of "dueling" chefs. His father has the Tsil Cafe - specializing in Authentic (with a capital A) New Mexican cuisine. His mother runs a traditional Italian catering company from the family's apartment kitchen (above the Cafe). Wes has to find a way to honor his parents while forging his own path. I was hungry for more.

This was a pleasant surprise! I expected this to be more a place-as-character book. The Tsil Cafe was a character, but a minor, background one. Written almost as a memoir, it was an enjoyable read.

My quibbles were that it was a little predictable and a little dramatic. But it is a book about food and family, and I think that's an ambitious undertaking!

In 1825 Robert Johnson is on the run, innocent of the crime for which he's being pursued, astride his magnificent horse "the color of the sun," The Stud. He runs afoul of bounty hunters and Indians and wanders as far as Mexico before facing his fate and returning home to Tennessee and the woman he loves. Solid fleshing out of the old country and western song, "The Tennessee Stud." For fans of traditional westerns.