Ben Ryder Howe
A memoir-style telling of the relationship between Ben, a white, pure-bred New Englander, and his wife Gabbie, a first generation Korean American. The story explores the cultural divide between the two as Ben (an editor for the Paris Review) and Gabbie (a corporate lawyer) both change their lifestyle in order to purchase a NY deli as some sort of compensation for Gabbie's mother Kay. The two end up living in Kay's basement in Staten Island (along with several other extended family members) as a way to save money and keep the money pit of a deli alive. It really is a fascinating look at small business, immigrant mentality, asian family systems, upper-crust publishing and multi-cultural relationships. There are so many compare/contrast scenarios that it is a stark reminder that the cultural divide is not just asian/american. It is also wealthy/middle class, white collar/blue collar, commuter/local. Unfortunately, the book either goes on too long, or loses its Mojo because after about 2/3 of the way through, I lost interest. So fun, engaging, too long...
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