Sourdough by Robin Sloan

Lynnie   

Amy      

contemporary fiction

Lynnie's Review

I adored Robin Sloan's previous book, Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, several years ago so I was thrilled to see that he released another one. While there are similarities between the two books (San Francisco tech startups play an important role, quirky characters, a mystical background) the stories are very different.

Sourdough follows Lois Clary as she is given a very unique sourdough starter from her favorite local restaurant and has to learn to feed, care for, and create from this magical colony of microorganisms. Having baked my fair share of bread, including sourdough there were parts of this book that amused me to no end but made me wonder if non-bakers would appreciate it as well. Still, watching Lois follow where the sourdough leads was a wonderful journey full of surprises. I love the other characters that Lois encounters on her way and as usual the joy of Sloan's writing kept me enthralled. Like Sloan's other book, I still find myself thinking about the world he created.

Amy's Review

Despite the fact that I loved Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, the description for his new novel, Sourdough, did not appeal to me.  So I did not plan to read it.  However, my sister loved it so much that she convinced me to give it a try and I’m so glad she did!  It was delightful!  

Lois gets a well-paying hi-tech job with a cool, successful, pressure-filled company.  As she realizes that she now lives and breaths work and doesn’t take time to even eat properly, she stumbles upon an amazingly satisfying delivery meal which changes her outlook on life.  Not only that, but when the restaurant owner bequeaths a sourdough starter to her, it truly changes her actual life.  And this new life is better!  Her life is once again interesting and worth relishing.

It was a completely different story than Mr. Penumbra but it had many of the same wonderful elements:  weird food, high technology, books/book lovers, fantasy mysteries, California, dark and secret places, progressive workplaces, quirky and loveable characters, fantastical histories, respect for elders, fun, exaggerated circumstances, and it didn’t take itself seriously.  Plus it was funny while not being a “comedy” (which I appreciate since outright comedy novels never meet my expectations).

The way the story is crafted is perfect. Pacing is good.  It gets a little silly at times, and bogged down with chemistry and baking details sometimes, but it bounces back soon enough and is a really quick read.  I highly recommend it!