Book Review: The Brothers and Sisters Eatery

 

 

Two men, Samson Sanders and Massimo Messina, are looking for a better life for themselves and their families. Although they come from wildly different parts of the world, Sanders from Sugarland, Texas and Massimo from Palermo, Sicily, they have one thing in common: a love of food.

Sanders leaves racist Texas with his loving wife, Sarah, and son Emanuel. Massimo, with help from his brother-in-law, leaves Italy with his wife, Doro, and daughter, Angelina. Both families end up in Chicago. The men meet after a lunch pail mix-up at the meatpacking company where they are employed. Each loves the food the other brought. As they work together, they decide to combine talents and fulfill their dream of opening a restaurant.

Of course, in 1920s Chicago, nothing is easy. Racism, while maybe not as overt, is not absent and the Italian mob makes life difficult for those just trying to make a living. Their dream of their own eatery will not come easily.

It is clear that the author has two loves: history and food. Much of the story revolves around talking about food, cooking food, and eating food. So much so, I’d say that food is as much a character in this book as Sampson or Massimo. I happen to love food and read cookbooks for fun, so I enjoyed this part but I can see where other readers might be put off.

The story of the two families is interesting and well portrayed. Their story is predictable, but in a good way. The bad guys are bad, the good guys are good, and the ending not too hard to guess. Sometimes that’s just what you need in a book!

I recommend this to readers with an interest in 20th-century American history and food, especially food!