When I first acknowledged that I would be reading this book, I wasn't in the least bit excited. But it was on the Buzzfeed.com's list of books to read before they hit theaters for 2014, so I had to committ. After reading the back, it reminded me of Eat Pray Love which only added to my lack of excitement. Looking back, I feel guilty for my first thoughts after purchasing it. "Yes. It's only 242 pages so this won't take long at all." With that said my friends, I am here to tell you that my first impressions were wrong once again.
Hassan learns at a young age how unfair life can be when his mother's life is taken. From there his father must uproot their lives in hopes of doing what he does best, and that is cook Indian cuisine. With the help of family money, Hassan's father takes them to France of all places to open an Indian restaurant. You'd think that Indian cuisine would have no place in such an upscale area, but Hassan' s father leaves the cooking to his son who has a gift even he is unaware of until later in life. The problem is not the cuisine, but the uptight control freak who happens to be the owner and chef of an elite French restaurant. The problem is Madame Mallory. Madame Mallory has quite the number of issues with the loud and unconventional new restaurant across the street. Music, scenery, and evident competition slowly make her crazier than usual. She tries to use her leverage in town to file complaints and eventually wins when the restaurant is asked to shut down. This all changes when she has a taste of the competition who happens to be Hassan. Her taste buds and heart know what takes her a long time to confess which is that Hassan has the talent and skills even she lacks. Which leads her to her new obsession. She will not rest until Hassan joins her restaurant as her apprentice. Hassan's father is livid with this request and naturally turns it down, over and over again. Until finally when Madame Mallory is sitting on his front lawn without food or water for days, he concedes. And so begins Hassan's journey.
Hassan begins as an apprentice with Madame Mallory and learns what talents he has and how to use those talents in preparing French cuisine. He gains the confidence and expertise while making friends along the way. His love life is rather complex as the only commitment that he can make is with the kitchen. This is definitely a result of his mother's passing. Then Hassan finally out grows his surroundings and has to say goodbye to Madame Mallory in order to continue growing to become what he was meant to be which is a master chef in his own restaurant. Sadly he is also saying goodbye to the girl who wouldn't follow him.
Our talented Hassan continues to increase the level of his cooking skills and learns the most valuable lesson. Only by reinventing can you truly succeed in this business. Remaining stagnant is simply not an option. He also learns how hard this path can be as his close companion ends his life. It is at this point that Hassan redirects himself and who he wants to become.
This novel is decadent and delicious. The dynamics of Madame Mallory and Hassan keep you engaged as you continue to route for Hassan as his journey continues with many bumps along the way. This journey far exceeds the 100 feet eluded in the title.
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