1798: A magical, dark adventure. Fourteen-year-old Pâtca, initiated in the occult arts, comes to Bucharest, to her uncle, Cuviosu Zăval, to retrieve the Book of Perilous Dishes. The recipes in this magical book can bring about damaging sincerity, forgetfulness, the gift of prediction, or hysterical laughter. She finds her uncle murdered and the book missing. All that Zăval has left her is a strange map she must decipher. Travelling from Romania to France and on to Germany to do so, Patca’s family’s true past and powers are revealed, as is her connection to the famous and sublime chef, Silica.
About the Author
DOINA RUŞTI, important contemporary Romanian novelist, is unanimously appreciated for epic force, for originality and erudition of her novels. She received all major Romanian awards, including the Romanian Academy Prize, and was translated into many languages (even in Chinese).
She wrote ten novels, including: Fantoma din moară (The Phantom in the Mill, 2008), Lizoanca (2009), Zogru (2006).
The novels Manuscrisul fanariot (The Phanariot Manuscript, 2015), Mâța Vinerii (The Book of Perilous Dishes, 2017) and “Homeric” (2019) can be a Phanariotic Trilogy (18th century). The most recent novel: Paturi oculte (Occult beds), 2020.
Good international reviews in: La Stampa, Stato Quotidiano, Il Venerdì di Repubblica. Il Libero, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Magyar Nemzet, La Opinion, Turia. Il Mercurio etc.
Doina Rusti lives in Bucharest, and is a professor and screenwriter.
My thoughts: After her grandmother is dragged away to be executed, our 14 year old protagonist heads to Bucharest to find her uncle. Unfortunately he has been murdered and she gets involved in the various intrigues of society.
The titular book, one Pâtca wrote several years before, has fallen into the hands of a cook who is now making those perilous dishes for the local ruler, and they’re having some strange effects.
As she attempts to get the book back from the cook, solve her uncle’s murder, and stay ahead of the city – who are looking for a witch called Cat O’ Friday, another name for Pâtca.
I really enjoyed this book, Pâtca is an intriguing character, trying to figure all of these different things out, she’s only a teenager but seems wise beyond her years and quite dangerous.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 