Lonely Planet Vietnam, 2012
"... offers a real insight into Vietnam's wonderful food scene ..."
Pacific Affairs, Volume 84, No. 3 - September 2011
"Nuanced and lush ... its treatment of Vietnamese culture begins at the table, but extends far beyond it."
Gastronomica, Spring 2011
“Fay evokes her favorite dishes
with language that lingers in the
mind as beloved tastes linger on
the palate.”
Here on Earth: Food Friday, March 11, 2011
One-hour interview and call-in talk show featuring
Communion.
Click
here to listen to the broadcast at
Here on Earth on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Washington State Magazine, Spring 2011
“This is an extraordinarily ambitious book. Though framed by a five-week culinary tour of Vietnam, Fay manages to not only hit more restaurants and food stalls than seems humanly possible, she brings a depth of cultural, political, and culinary history to the mix.”
Click
here to read the full review at
Washington State Magazine.
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2010
Winner: Best Asian Cuisine Book, USA Division
Third Place: Best Asian Cuisine Book in the World
International Examiner, Volume 38, No. 1
“[Fay] investigates how history shapes cuisine and food, and ponders the relationship between food and happiness …
Communion is a book one can treasure on many levels.”
Click
here to read the full review at the
International Examiner.
Saddlebag Notes, December 2010
“Kim Fay has woven a rich tapestry of culture and tradition.”
MSN’s glo, October 22, 2010
“Gotta Have It” pick of the day.
Click
here to read the full recommendation on MSN.
The Elliott Bay Book Company’s Booknotes, Autumn 2010
“A truly splendid homage to the people, places, and of course food that is Vietnam.”
Click
here to read the full review at the Elliott Bay Book Company website.
Spellout Seattle, September 18, 2010
“[Fay’s] graceful prose engages all the senses …”
Click
here to read more at
Spellout Seattle.
The Columbian, (Vancouver, WA), September 14, 2010
Print Extra: 2-page feature interview starting on the cover of the Life/Food section, including author photos, book photos, and recipes.
Courier-Journal, (Louisville, KY; circ. 218,000), September 4, 2010
“ … lovingly written by a young woman whose depth of understanding and deep appreciation of another culture and its culinary delights teases the reader to follow her on her odyssey to a country she knows well.”
Click
here to read the full review at the
Courier-Journal.
(Because the
Courier-Journal is a Gannett newspaper, the article was picked up by newspapers as varied as the
India Times, and
The San Diego Union Tribune.)
Zester Daily, September 3, 2010
“Fay writes a poignant, funny and engrossing tale of food, culture and tradition in a country obviously so dear to her heart.”
Click
here to read the full review at
Zester Daily.
The Globetrotting Gourmet, August 2010
“This is THE book on Vietnam cuisine, deserving a place in every foodies’ and travellers’ library. Highly recommended.”
Click
here to read the full review at
The Globetrotting Gourmet.
Asian Food and Travel, August 19, 2010
“Kim translates her keen observations of place, taste and character into descriptions that engage all the senses … I loved reading this book …”
Click
here to read the full review at
Asian Food and Travel.
Viet World Kitchen, August 15, 2010
“… what is valuable are her interactions with and reflections on people that she meets.”
Click
here to read the full review at
Viet World Kitchen.
KCRW’s Good Food, August 7, 2010
“An extraordinarily personal book.” - Evan Kleiman
Click
here to listen to my interview with Evan Kleiman on
Good Food.
NBC LA’s Feast, August 4, 2010
“Kim Fay has literally written the book on Vietnam (twice).”
Click
here to read my full online interview at NBC LA’s
Feast.
Shelf Awareness, July 27, 2010
“Cool Idea of the Day” – The
Communion book launch party was selected as the
Shelf Awareness “Cool Idea of the Day” for inviting the Mandoline Grill food truck to serve Vietnamese cuisine outside Traveler's Bookcase after the reading and Q&A.
Click
here to go to the "cool idea" on
Shelf Awareness.
Click
here to read about the book launch on my blog,
Serve It Forth.
Click
here to read about the book launch at
Mondette.
Chopstick Cinema/ThingsAsian.com, July 16, 2010
"To read
Communion is to experience Vietnam in all its dimensions.
Communion is at once a lesson in history, anthropology, sociology, economics, psychology, and gastronomy, taught with humor and pathos."
Click
here to go to the full review on ThingsAsian.com.
Click
here to read more about
Communion at
Chopstick Cinema.
Click
here to read more about reviewer Celeste Heiter's experience cooking Chef Huong's Dalat Ragu from
Communion.
Rambling Spoon (rated one of the world's top 50 food blogs by the London's The Times), June 16, 2010
“Kim captures the nugget of great food writing. Ingredients are important—yes—but context is so much more so."
Click
here to go to the full review at
Rambling Spoon.
Asia by the Book, May 20, 2010
"Kim Fay is adept at illuminating a country through the food that it prepares. … She has infused the art of eating in Vietnam with its history, its culture, and more than a few damned good stories."
Click
here to go to the full review at
Asia by the Book.
Library Journal, March 1, 2010
"... the focus is on her delicious prose, which will leave the reader yearning for an authentic taste of Vietnam."
Click
here to go to the review on the
Library Journal website.
Forthcoming reviews:
Berlitz Pocket Guide to Vietnam --- Recommended reading selection: 2012 publication date
Just for Fun
While not a review, this
blog post made my day. It is the response from one of the winners of the
Communion book giveaway on
GoodReads. It is the reason I love being a writer. Additional blog reviews include
Garlic Never Sleeps,
Marjolein Book Blog and
Ern in Tokyo. Many thanks to those readers out there who have enjoyed
Communion and are spreading the word.
