Music, Food and Love: A Memoir by Guo Yue & Clare Farrow, Illustrations by Qu Lei Lei

PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED AND SIGNED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND MANDARIN CHINESE ON THE DEDICATION PAGE BY THE AUTHOR THUS (the English bits): "To. Michael. Beautiful Food Beautiful (can't decipher the next word) Guo Yue" (the page
opposite is somewhat stained by the blue ink from the author's inscription);  Portrait 2005 1st ed, 258pp., text generally in decent order
albeit with slight browning to page edges, staining to the page extremities at the very top, slight bumping & rubbing to board corners on the front - heavier to those on the rear, especially the rear bottom left hand corner, bumping to the base of the front board (from the halfway point to the bottom right hand corner), slight bumping & rubbing to the top, bottom & sides of boards - very much heavier to the top & bottom of the spine, elsewhere both boards slightly faded & marked, the dust jacket has slight internal browning, has a large crease down the front left hand side (less so to the rear right hand side), is heavily rubbed & creased at the top & bottom of the spine including a small tear to the base, elsewhere is a bit marked & creased. Book = good; jacket = acceptable.


"Music, Food and Love" conveys the vivid experiences of a boy with a passion for music and cooking who grew up in Beijing (Peking) before and during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. For him, music and food are equally important. The youngest of six children, Guo Yue recalls his childhood at the heart of a close-knit family of musicians living beside a Beijing alley. He draws the reader into a world where music is everywhere - even in the rhythmic chopping sounds of the kitchen. We follow Yue as he explores Beijing, watching others and learning through imitation, until he finally leaves for the West.

This beautifully-written and evocative memoir highlights how, despite poverty and repressed times, cooking family dishes was a life-affirming experience, symbolizing freedom of expression. Guo Yue is a Chinese Bamboo Flutes player and composer now living in London with his wife Clare Farrow, with whom he collaborated on this memoir. His book gives the reader a taste of family life in China and real Chinese home cooking. He shares with readers a few delicious traditional recipes which have been passed on in his family and among friends. These are based on a few simple ingredients, a natural approach to taste, colour and texture, and an innate love of good
food.


Will ship by Royal Mail 1st Class Signed for, well packaged.

(£5.39/gpt)