Rating: 
Summary: Fun, Obtuse, Endearing
Review: This is a warm, engaging, and eccentric novel, which gourmands will find captivating. Its focus on a Southwestern cafe, of uncompromising native American cuisine is set in the seemingly unlikely "wonder bread" mid-west. Averill devotes little time to the possible disconnect with the cafe's surrounding environment but focuses upon the clash of indigenous peoples and cuisines with European incursions, and the inevitable fusion of both.Philosophical, insightful and profound, albeit in a very subtle fashion. The author makes many worthwhile observations and statements about the encounter of these two cultures without being pedantic, and while having fun. This is a delightful novel, one which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, Obtuse, Endearing
Review: This is a warm, engaging, and eccentric novel, which gourmands will find captivating. Its focus on a Southwestern cafe, of uncompromising native American cuisine is set in the seemingly unlikely "wonder bread" mid-west. Averill devotes little time to the possible disconnect with the cafe's surrounding environment but focuses upon the clash of indigenous peoples and cuisines with European incursions, and the inevitable fusion of both. Philosophical, insightful and profound, albeit in a very subtle fashion. The author makes many worthwhile observations and statements about the encounter of these two cultures without being pedantic, and while having fun. This is a delightful novel, one which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Coming of Age in the Kitchen
Review: Thomas Fox Averill's first published novel (following several collections of short fiction, two anthologies, and the O'Henry Prize selection) is a real gem which will appeal to all readers -- literature lovers, cooks, students, and teachers. A coming of age story, set in Kansas City, the novel traces Wes Hingler as he grows to know and understand himself against the backdrop of his mother's old world catering service and his father's new world "Tsil Cafe." Interspersed in the engaging narrative are the recipes of both worlds, recipes which are clear and educational and accessible for most cooks. Although most readers will not choose to cook with dog (when available), the ingredients will be readily available for most readers. Those who appreciate spice will revel in the recipes, but for the more delicate palates Averill shows how chile peppers can be sweet and subtle. Written with tenderness and affection while not holding back on life's realities, "Secrets of the Tsil Cafe" will be a perfect selection for teachers in universities and secondary schools. The clear definition of two cultures, the search for identity, and the joy of life fully lived permeate this work and make it an ideal vehicle for classroom discussion and for the exploration (by students and readers) of the importance of family and cultural heritage. Although I am the author's brother and have to acknowledge the "conflict of interest" in writing this review, I objectively see this as a great novel. I will be using "Secrets of the Tsil Cafe" in my own AP English classes in Manchester (MA) and in my kitchen at home with my family. I recommend this novel with pride and enthusiasm.
Rating:
Summary: How would you like your literature served...
Review: With prose as rich and flavorful as the southwestern cuisine his characters prepare, Averill has penned for us a wonderful coming of age story. Wes Hingler is out of place. His culinary tastes and culture don't fit into the urban life of Kansas City. Not at home with either his peers or his father, who wears his cultural differences like a badge, Wes endures a lifetime of adjustment. It's a lifetime centered around his family. His parents and their troubles swirl around him in an ever enlightening mix of secrets, betrayals, and love. For Wes, it means a constant reconciliation with his parents' pains and desires. And like individual ingredients in the whole, these are just pinches of what makes Wes Hingler's life worth tasting. Averill is a literary writer. He is an award-winning short fiction writer, and a teacher. It shows in his prose. The story is authentic in both emotion and detail. It is written with an authoritative and honest voice that developes the characters so realistically you'll begin to see pieces of them in the people around you. We know these people. We'd swear we've met them. Enjoy this work. Read it and escape for a while, if not to a world less complex or difficult, at least more flavorful.
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