Head Cook at Weddings and Funerals and Other Stories of Doukhobor Life

Description

206 pages
$14.95
ISBN 0-919591-75-2
DDC C813'.54

Publisher

Year

1994

Contributor

Reviewed by Susan Patrick

Susan Patrick is a librarian at Ryerson Polytechnical University.

Review

Being head cook at weddings and funerals is considered a position of
honor in Doukhobor society; this collection of short stories details the
social and family rituals of this unique culture in Canada, with much
local color and an emphasis on the importance of food—especially
borsch. The stories are both moving and entertaining, and told from the
point of view of a young girl growing up and facing the clash between
the cultures and values of her Doukhobor family and friends and those of
the very different Canadian society beyond. The characterizations have a
true-to-life quality, and particularly poignant are the depictions of
the cruelty of children in their disregard or ignorance of others’
feelings. Although set within the specific cultural context of Doukhobor
society, the stories deal with matters to which most readers will be
able to relate—including such universal themes as birth, death,
marriage, friendship, and family relationships, and the emotions of
love, envy, pride, vanity, and embarrassment.

Citation

Plotnikoff, Vi., “Head Cook at Weddings and Funerals and Other Stories of Doukhobor Life,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed October 8, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/1456.