Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors is the second Jane Austin story retelling that I’ve read by Sonali Dev. It’s the first in her Raje series, the second of which is Recipe for Persuasion. As you may have guessed from the title, this is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice.
DJ is in LA because his sister, Emma, needs him. He’s friends with Ashi (from Recipe for Persuasion); they attended culinary school together in Paris. Ashi’s family is DJ’s first client as he tries to establish himself as a chef.
When Trisha and DJ meet, at a family event where DJ is the caterer, Trisha is hangry and he is on the receiving end of her ire. Given that Trisha is Emma’s doctor and DJ keeps getting hired for family events, their paths cross frequently.
Trisha is a head-driven, extraordinary surgeon who comes across as haughty and insufferable. She’s not good at making friends and her social awkwardness contributes to DJ’s poor opinion of her. Julia Wickman, Trisha’s former best friend, compounds his negative view of Trisha with her story of how she was treated by Trisha and the Raje’s.
Retold Within an Indian Family
Delicious food
Food factors into this story, delicious food. Sonali explores the role of food as a factor in connecting people. Trisha first falls in love with DJ’s food and watching her appreciate his food has an impact on him. The Raje’s love a particular bakery where there are blueberry chocolate-chip muffins (my second favorite bakery in Prague offers a scone in this flavor); Trisha and DJ have an epic showdown in that bakery. Those same muffins show up in a very poignant visit between Trisha and her mother. As someone with a love of bakeries, and baked goods, and a strong appreciation of Indian food, this book made me salivate.
Family Relationships
I love how the author infuses elements of the culture of people from the Indian diaspora. DJ is half Indian while Trisha is from a family which embraces their Indian and American identity, Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors tells a rich, complex story of the Raje’s as well as of DJ and Emma. The main love story is interwoven with the story of Nisha and Emma, within the backdrop of Yash’s run for political office.
Nisha has suffered multiple miscarriages and is worried and nervous about her unexpected pregnancy. Emma has a brain tumor and must choose between her life and her art. Throw in Trisha’s feelings of alienation from her family, her difficult relationship with her brother and father over an event that occurred 15 years earlier, and a clairvoyant cousin, and what you get is layers upon layers of flavor.
Final Verdict of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors
I love this book even more than Recipe for Persuasion. While there is a lot going on in the story, I think that it’s all beautifully connected. Family, loyalty, friendship and trust are key themes, along with love and acceptance. I give this book 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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