Knowing this was a memoir, I was blown away by how the first chapter read as fiction. The descriptions of the food and dinner scene immediately pulled me in and made me want to read the book. The background of the characters is seamlessly described throughout. By the time the "reveal" occurs, I had so many strong feelings: distress for 14-year-old Rennie and outrage that Malabar was confiding in her daughter like an adult best friend. I need to read the rest of this book to learn how the story unfolds.