The Last Suppers tells the story of a woman, daughter of a prison guard, raised on prison grounds until age 8 when her father is killed. She returns as a prison cook, insisting on preparing the final meal for men before their execution. We learn about her as she does, as past events are revealed and we see how these events influence actions throughout her lifetime. It is a fascinating character study. The Last Suppers is a compelling read which takes the reader through the rise and fall of human emotions. Thank you for the advance copy. The Last Suppers is certain to be a popular book club selection.

The Last Suppers by Mandy Mikulencak

Dark, twisted, emotionally challenging this is a story of people caught up in life…and death.

The setting of this story is Greenmount Penitentiary in Louisiana – a fictitious place brought to life through the excellent writing of the author.

The period of time ranges from the late 1920’s through the early 1960’s.

The issues/topics included are many and each one seems to impact another much as dominoes falling one after another. Family, abuse, lies, KKK, race, friendship, love, belonging, death, trauma, psychological issues, giving, caring, pain…and so much more.

The main characters are Roscoe Simms – warden and Ginny Polk – penitentiary head cook.

Peripheral/supporting characters include: Dot (cook’s assistant), Miriam (Ginny’s mother), Joe (Ginny’s father) various guards at the penitentiary and the prisoners being executed and the families of those prisoners.

The blurb for this book gives an idea of what the book might be about but the story is so much more than the blurb. The gradual unfolding of the backstories makes each character bigger and more complex than first expected with each page read and left me pondering and wishing that for most things could have been radically different while also explaining why the story needed to progress as it did.

I am still pondering and thinking and wishing that the characters had things easier BUT I am also thankful to have met and become acquainted with each one of them as they will remain with me for quite some time. This is a book that will not disappear from my mind quickly. It will stick and in sticking do what I like a book to do…make me care and share and think and grow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books-A John Scognamiglio Book for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Ginny Polk works at the same prison her Daddy did. He was a prison guard and was murdered when Ginny was a small child. Ginny is the prison cook and she takes it upon herself to make last suppers before the inmates are executed. Ginny's life has been hard as her Mother wasn't very kind to her. I truly felt for Ginny and all she has been through in her life. Ginny finds out some secrets about her Daddy's murder and she investigates until she gets to the truth. This was a wonderful story of family, love, and secrets. I received an ARC through NetGalley and Kensington Books and all opinions are my own.

The Last Suppers is a historical fiction novel that focuses on the Louisiana prison system in the 1950’s. The main character is a woman named Ginny . She is the daughter of a former prison guard, who was murdered when she was eight years old. As an adult she now works as a cook in the prison kitchen. Ginny grew up living on the prison grounds with her family and she continues to live there as an adult. Ginny meets with the prisoners on death row right before they are sent to the electric chair. She is obsessed with preparing their last meal with whatever foods they request. She meets with the families of the walking dead to be sure the recipes are perfect. Unfortunately Ginny is dealing with her own demons. The novel deals with dysfunctional families, childhood trauma, prison brutality and racism.
I did find it difficult to relate to Ginny. She seemed to just go along with whatever came her way. She never left the prison environment. Her mother was horrible to her and her father was not the man she thought he was. I also found her relationship with her father’s friend, Roscoe, to be strange and unsettling. There are secrets that are revealed about her father and Roscoe that add a bit of drama but there were times when I found the book to be a bit slow. For me the most interesting parts were about the prisoner’s stories and their families as they awaited their execution. I received an ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Set in 1950s Louisiana, Mandy Mikulencak’s beautifully written and emotionally moving novel evokes both The Help and Dead Man Walking with the story of an unforgettable woman whose quest to provide meals for death row prisoners leads her into the secrets of her own past.

I was lucky to receive this book from netgalley.
This book opened my eyes to a different view of a criminal, and made me question if their last rights/request should be carried out?

It tells the story of a cook who makes the last meal for the inmates. But she doesn't only make the dinner but goes an extra mile to make it with love and care. During this journey she learns about heartache and a very dark secret about her family.

I read somewhere that The Last Suppers had a foodie fiction angle. Well, not only that, but it was also a special genre hybrid I think fans of women's fiction and historical fiction will also especially enjoy. I was engaged from the start with this well-written story of Ginny, a prison cook, who prepares "last suppers" for inmates on death row.

My favorite parts of the book were when Ginny interacted with the inmates and their families, taking special care to get the recipes just right. These are recipes I have not tried before, and may not ever make (e.g., pork neck stew, I'm looking at you!), and somehow they sounded delicious and comforting because of Ginny.

There was also a special romance between Ginny and the prison warden, Roscoe. Is Roscoe truly the good, sensitive guy he appears to be? The plot left me guessing until the very end on that one.

The only reason I took away one star from this well-written and engaging book was that I wished it had more of the historical angle that it did in the beginning with the prison in Louisiana, and a little less about the later events that unfolded in the book (don't want to give anything away in my review).

Overall, this was smoothly written, with characters I cared for, and quite an interesting and original topic. I'm grateful to have spent time getting to know Ginny and the other characters in this book.

Thank you to Mandy Mikulencak, Kensington Books, and Netgalley, for the opportunity to review an advanced copy. The Last Suppers will be released on December 26, 2017.

This book had a pretty slow start for me. It definitely had a very interesting plot, and different approach.

FABULOUS, I loved this book! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First let me say I’m pretty stingy with 5 star reviews, this one I was very happy to give a well deserved 5 stars

I'm so impressed with this original, unique storyline. The author did her historical and prison research extremely well.

The plot of the Last Supper is based around death row inmates at an abusive prison. The prison warden is trying to improve conditions at the prison and part of that improvement is to allow Ginny to recreate a special meal that an inmate may request as their last meal before their execution.

All the characters in the story have some association with the prison. There was a lot of mystery in the story that unfolded in bits and pieces that kept up the intrigue right until the last paragraph, I was hooked from the first page.

I was originally attracted to the book by the jacket cover and intrigued by the description, but I really wasn't expecting to love the story as much as I did.

The writing was well done, easy and fast paced. The characters were so well written and developed that I was invested in each and every one of them and felt like I was right there rooting for Ginny and Roscoe all the way. The best part is this story is believable.

We have prison drama and crazy prisoners, the KKK, a murder, a love affair, a dysfunctional mother, all based in a beautifully described southern setting.

Wow! Job well done, excellent read. Kudos to Ms. Mikulencak.

The Last Suppers –

This was an advanced read I received from NetGalley and Kensington Books by Mandy Mikulencak for my honest review.

This was a good book about a daughter (Ginny) of a former prison guard, who was murdered, her father’s murderer sent to death row (in which her mother made her watch) and how she later became a cook at the same prison cooking the death row inmates last suppers. Ginny did a lot of research into their requests, even going to meet with their families to get the exact recipes and how to cook them. She also became romantically involved with her father’s best friend, Roscoe, the new warden at the prison. But there were also dark secrets between her, her mother, Roscoe, and the prison. Throughout the book Ginny tries to reconcile the murder of her father and then realizes it wasn’t as she has always been told. Then she realizes why she had to be at the prison as a cook making those last suppers.

This was a good read, sometimes portions took me a little while to grasp, but the story was sometimes not an even flow. There were “section breakers” about prisoners and their story of how they came to prison, but not necessarily characters in the main story line. So those were a little confusing to me as to why they were even in there, it would have made more sense to make them of the persons she was preparing those last suppers for. The character of Ginny was relatable, but her mother and Roscoe I had a hard time connecting with, their relationship got confusing at times. This was a book I wanted to read because the subject matter interested me, especially after having worked in criminal law for a time. I also found this interesting as I now live in the Deep South and have heard a lot of the discrimination that happened back then, and still today. I would recommend this book to others who also like the subject matter with just a little bit of mystery.

I love reading books that leave me with a feeling of contentment when finished. This one definitely has that. There are three different things going on in this book. The main part is Ginny's present day life. Her father was murdered when she was 8. Now an adult, she is in love with his best friend and working in the prison kitchen. The second part, is slowly uncovering the truth behind her father's murder. The third are a few journal type entries from various characters from the story. The historical aspect of this book is about the KKK and the injustices done to black people and how prisoners were treated during the 50's. Ginny breaks the rules to serve the death row prisoners their last meal. Along the way the two main sections of the story are told. At the very end are recipes from some of the suppers that she made and a book group discussion guide which I thought were really neat bonuses.

Thanks Kensington Books and netgalley for this ARC.

This novel shines a light on compassion, empathy, and society's injustices. Inspirational without being overly preachy.

I am very selective with my ARC requests. When I read the description on this one I immediately requested this book. I am a big fan of historical fiction and was very excited about this one.

The story is set in the 1950’s Louisiana and follows the story of Ginny, a young woman working in the kitchen of Greenmount State Penitentiary. This book sucked me in from the very beginning and was difficult to put down.
This book reminded me a lot of The Green Mile more so than The Help. At times Ginny is a bit impulsive which shows just how young she actually is and naïve. The characters are developed just right and the story the story keeps you guessing.

I really enjoyed this read and recommend it. If you are a fan of The Green Mile, I know you will enjoy this one.

This is a stunning book that I really enjoyed reading!
The premise intrigued and disturbed me at the same time and that's what prompted me to pick it up.
I received it from Netgalley as an ARC and am glad I did!
Once I did, I devoured the book.
Set in a prison in Louisiana in the 50's, this is the story of Ginny Polk, the prison cook, who voluntarily takes on the task of providing one last good meal to the death row inmates just before their execution. She understands that they have committed unforgivable crimes but believes in this one act of compassion before they receive their punishment. And she works really hard to ensure the authenticity of the meal she provides if it is a family recipe of the inmate.
Ginny is in a relationship with the prison warden Roscoe, who was the best friend of her father, a prison guard himself, till he was killed.
From that point in her childhood, something has gnawed at Ginny and this restless feeling is what brought her back to work and live there.
Amidst the rampant racial discrimination prevalent at the time and the inhuman prison environment that Roscoe is trying to improve, Ginny realizes that what she has always believed about her father's death may not be true and Roscoe may know the truth.
What is her aloof mother Miriam hiding? Why does it feel like she will never be at peace unless she discovers what really happened? Is her act of providing last suppers connected to this unknown secret of the past?
Ginny is a very determined feisty young woman who doesn't give up easily no matter the odds. Her mother and her friend Dot are two other very strongly etched characters.
While the book moves fast, it dwells sufficiently on the emotional aspects of the sensitive theme it is based on and brings out the innate human nature of showing compassion even where it may be viewed as unwarranted.

Goodreads link..
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2199445959

A very open eyed view of racism and the penal system in 1950s Louisiana. I loved Ginny, specifically, her ability to see past the racism that seems to have surrounded her upbringing and establish familial love with Dot. I greatly appreciate her inability to compromise her convictions no matter who is asking her to. I do wish there had been more resolution for her cookbook. Still, this is an enjoyable book. A little sad, but enjoyable.

While I don’t feel that this book is much like The Help, I do feel that it’s a stand alone success on its own. Yes, the time period and location are similar. But Ginny Polk’s time as a prison cook doesn’t compare to Skeeter’s time as a writer of domestic workers’ stories. Ginny’s life and her story are complicated. I loved this novel and, while I hated the ending, it was appropriate and fit like the last piece of a puzzle.

Unfortunately this book didn't download properly. Pages where missing. Had to rate it to send review!

1950's Louisiana was not a place that encouraged soft-heartedness - the fictional Greenmount State Penitentiary even less so. Into that unforgiving environment comes Ginny Polk, still grappling with her father's death, and a determined optimist. After taking over the preparation of the last meals for the inmates, she finds herself unexpectedly affected by the humanity that lives inside us all.

A beautiful novel - I did find it sad that so many of the issues remained so relevant today, but that is what makes it important that books like this continue to be published.