Honestly, mixed feelings. Unless one disturbing aspect, I would go for 4 stars, because I loved the other parts quite alot! The sharp look on the prison world from very close outside (the characters are prison's employees) shows many injustices considered as horrible conditions now, but that were common then in 1950s. Also then novel is set in Louisiana, so the light is shown into the racial questions, and it is a sad, sad look really.
But the Southern women are strong here and all the charm of the South works on me even in the harsh worlds shown - precisely because Ms Mikulencak is not shy to show all the heartbreaking realities, but also the qualities of the human spirit. Her characters are multi-faceted, honest fighters in their own ways, and the gift of kindness is not taken lightly here.

So why 3 stars? I find Ginny and Roscoe's relationship being seriously disturbing, given all the past circumstances.

In the 1950's, not many women worked at Louisiana’s Greenmount State Penitentiary. Ginny Polk grew up in the shadow of the institution, as her father was a guard within its walls. As a cook for the prison, Ginny had occasion to fulfill the last request dinners for inmates on death row. Will the special relationship between Ginny and the warden, as well as the attention paid to the inmates, land the young woman in trouble?

The premise of The Last Suppers was excellent, but my attention waned with the sluggish storyline. Ginny was a good main character, with a heart of gold and an overall calm demeanor. I was not a fan of the plot, especially regarding her father. I wished that the author had focused solely on Ginny and her dinners, as I found that aspect of the book to be interesting. The relationship with her mother and with Roscoe were almost at odds with the rest of the novel. The beginning of the novel was stronger than the ending, which was a disappointment to me. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Last Suppers to other readers.

Disclaimer: Kensington Books and NetGalley provided me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Last Suppers. The choice to review this book was my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting multi-faceted story that gives the reader “food for thought” related to the death penalty.

Many thanks go to the author, Kensington Books, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. A young woman named Ginny is hired at the prison where her father worked before he was killed to cook in the kitchen. She is in a relationship with the warden and does not at all get along with her mother. But she has a soft heart. She likes to contact the families of the men on death row and cook their favorite meals as their last meals, which is against the rules. It's cathartic but she doesn't realize it because she's still healing from watching her father's murderer's execution. Ginny has a ton of conflicting emotions roiling around inside. Her lover was her father's best friend. She cries a lot. She seems to get bossed around a lot, but she's really stubborn so it doesn't go over well. This book takes us through her process of maturing and facing the truth of her situation. She's boxed up most of her feelings through the years. It's a narrative unfolding with a smooth finish. One special feature is the inclusion of all of the recipes for the food mentioned in the book. I'd like took all of it. There is also a reader's guide for a book club. It consists of some great questions. All in all this was a good book. I dont know if I would have bought it, but I would have checked it out at the library.

In the 1950s Louisiana did not seem such a nice place to be. Unless you were white and then in control. Ginny was a child of a prison guard who met an untimely end. His killer went to the electric chair for his murder but Ginny knew that there was something off about the sentencing.

After her father's death and many intervening years, Ginny herself finds work in the prison where her father worked as a cook. She is particularly renowned for catering to the last meal of those on death row despite there being a lot of opposition to the practice. Her relationship with the present warden of the prison does not do either of them any favours and both Ginny and Roscoe finds themselves on the receiving end of a lot of antagonism and resentment.

Ginny is an emotional, sensitive soul. She also feels that justice should be done and the penal system of the time does not mete out any justice for those in the system. The brutality of the guards or the fellow prisoners and the supervisors turning a blind eye to all that went on under their eyes was something Ginny could not tolerate. That she had no recourse and no one who would listen to her was of course another story.



The story was harsh, unrelenting and unforgiving. It did not leave room in the system for someone who was kind or who was wanting what was right to be done. It also obviously is also a piece of history as this may have been the system of all prisons in the country at the time. Unpalatable but true.

I enjoyed reading this story despite its harshness.

Goodreads and Amazon reviews posted on 12/3/2018. Review on my blog posted mid April 2018

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It was an interesting book, and I didn’t want to put it down. The author made me feel like I was in the kitchen with Ginny, sweating it out walking around in Louisiana. The mystery seemed a bit unsurprising to me but otherwise I thought it was good.

This book captures your attention from the very start to the end!

I receive a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I rarely feel ambivalent about a book, but that’s where I find myself after reading The Last Suppers by Mandy Mikulencak. It is not that the novel about a cook at a Louisiana prison in the early 50s isn’t interesting. It is almost that there was too much going on.41vyamsyx2l

As I read the book, I could not figure out where the author wanted me to focus. On Ginny’s relationship with Roscoe? On her relationship with her mother? Or the backstory of her father? On the inmates? On Ginny and Dot? On Roscoe’s emotions? On the political backdrop of the prison and of Louisiana?

At one point, Ginny thinks about how a certain pork neck stew will be better if it sits for a day, allowing the juices to meld. This story felt like a stew served on the first night. All the aspects were too bright and their flavor edges were too sharp. It needed time to soften into its purpose and design.

I find myself at a loss for how to recommend this book. It was a solid 3-stars for me. I don’t regret reading it, but I don’t think I would buy it for anyone or to have in my own collection. I don’t know to what kind of book club I might suggest this.

In the suggested reader questions at the end of the book, one of them asked if the book changed my mind about the death penalty. It didn’t (already against it), but I was surprised to see that question. There wasn’t enough in the book focused on the act of the state authorized killing then or now to change a mind.

I think this is a book that comes with a dramatic “Your Mileage May Vary”. It may very well be for you. It just wasn’t for me.

I thought The Last Suppers was pretty good. I give four stars.

The Last Suppers by Mandy Mikulencak is a complex, interesting, and a tightly written novel with a lot of depth within the pages of this book.

We were lost in the deep-rooted, earthy coulee with two of our Traveling Sisters reading The Last Suppers with us and we all really enjoyed this interesting story that brought some food for thought to our discussion.

Mandy Mikulencak does a good job capturing the emotional memories surrounding the food that left us thinking and discussing our favorites that we would choose for a “last supper”.

Mandy Mikulencak delivers an extremely moving and engaging story here and does a really good job creating a likeable character here with Ginny that we cared for and who we found to be very interesting.  We loved the compassion that she had with the convicts and her need to see humanity in people and as the story progressed we could see her grow and we loved how we were shown how deep Ginny’s need for redemption was as the story progressed.

Food becomes its own character within this story and we begin to see the “last suppers” more in an in-depth and complex thought-provoking way as it is tied into Ginny’s desire to find out her own truth and what that means. Along with Roscoe we started to question the reasoning behind Ginny’s desire to give the convicts the perfect “last supper” and we needed to know what that was and why it has haunted her throughout her life.

To sum it all up it was an extremely interesting, thought-provoking, and well-written novel that had quite the unique premise to it which we all found extremely enjoyable with a satisfying ending that led to a very interesting and enjoyable discussion. Would highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Mandy Mikulencak for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Set in Louisiana in the 1920s, Ginny Polk is a prison cook, determined to prepare convicts' last meals before their execution. Even though Ginny finds some kind of satisfaction from doing this, at least one of the convicts is not appreciative of her efforts. In parts of this book, Ginny seems to me to be selfish in only thinking of what she wants to do, disregarding the feelings of many others in her world. On the whole it is well written, but not star material. Only my opinion.

Food for comfort, a particular food that brings back memories, a time when someone cared enough to make something that made us feel better. Food can have many different meanings, and for Ginny it is what she provides as a cook at the penitentiary, what she feels she needs to do by providing last suppers for the men on death row. Raised on the grounds of the prison, her father a guard, a horrifying memory from that time, has haunted Ginny. Now her last suppers will provide a doorway into her own past, exposing secrets thought buried. They will also be the cause of the undoing of the man she loves.

A very different subject for a novel, one filled of food and love, but also so much ugly, a past that wasn't what it seemed. Things never forgotten, and how this was the frame for where Ginny finds herself now. We watch as Ginny handles each new barrier, discovery. How she grows and changes in light of the unveiling of a past that rears its ugly head. We learn some of the stories of the men on death row, not just from what they request for their last meal, but also from journal entries.

So much of this novel revolves around food, as it does for many of us in our own lives. In the sisters group where we read this, we all stated what we would request as a last supper. Mine was meatloaf and mashed potatoes, my all time comfort food. So many memories attached to food, and so it was for the men in this novel. Recipes are provided at books end.

A finely written novel, one that is thought provoking. A very different take of a young woman, coming into her own, in light of some terrible occurrences, one I wish didn't have to happen, but couldn't see it going any other way either. A good ending, a very realistic one, I think.

ARC from Netgalley.

Whether or not you've ever actually thought about inmates' last meals before their time is up on death row, The Last Suppers will be one you'll want to pick up. Mikulnecak does a great job creating a relatable protagonist, twenty-nine year old Ginny runs the prison kitchen, but her father worked there for years, she lived in one of the homes on the prison's grounds, and he was killed when she was eight. All of these factors have led her to who she is today; the relationships and friendships she has with the warden, inmates, corrections officers, and execution witnesses make this book one of a kind. It's not a long book, but will stay with me longer than most of the other novels I've read this year.

This is a beautifully written, emotionally engaging story of Ginny Polk and the people and events at Louisiana's Greenmount State Penitentiary. Ginny's life is forever effected at age 8 by observing the execution of the man who was convicted of killing her father. She grows up to work in the prison kitchen and takes on the task of preparing the last meals for the men who are to be executed. I do not normally like novels involving the death penalty but this does not trigger that response. Perhaps because Ginny is the center of the story. Loved that book. The author carefully tied things together at the end to have a happy ending. I felt it was a bit contrived and didn't think the feel good ending was necessary. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book.

There was no novel in my download- only the marketing info. Very disappointing as I'd looked forward to this. Luckily, I was also granted a copy via Edelweiss: Interesting historical women's fiction with a confounding protagonist in Ginny. Ginny can't seem to move forward in her life- she still lives and works at the prison facility where she was born and raised and, even more bizarre, she is in a relationship with her father's friend, who is a warden there. While the novel is more or less framed around the last suppers she makes for those going to the electric chair, it's also about racism and class issues in 1950s Louisiana. More than once I wanted to tell Ginny to just pack up and leave not only the prison but also Roscoe. There's something slightly warped there. That said, it kept me reading and I was intrigued by the recipes included at the end, which are very much of that time and place (the clabber cake and pork neck stew in particular). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Recommend this if you're looking for something different.

A beautifully written story, both absorbing and haunting, Mandy Mikulencak delivers a breakout book, THE LAST SUPPERS —a heartbreaking tale of secrets, racism, inequality, the death penalty, and prisoner rights.

A courageous young woman becomes obsessed with the preparation of the last meals for death row inmates, and a lover haunted by his related past.

However, there is a mystery to be unraveled about her own father’s murder and secrets of the past. A strong need for justice.

Part Southern, historical, mystery, and suspense. From the 1920s-1960s, a young woman Ginny works at the fictional Greenmount Penitentiary in Louisiana. Her father was a guard at the same prison years ago and murdered when she was six-years-old.

Ginny Polk currently resides with Roscoe (Warden Simms), who also works at the prison as a warden. He is old enough to be her father.

Her father, Joe (a heavy drinker) and Roscoe were best friends for years. He promised her father he would take care of her and her mother, Miriam. Roscoe and Ginny keep their relationship a secret inside the prison. Warden and cook.

Executions were hard on Ginny. The cruelty and darkness of the prison often overwhelmed her and gave her panic attacks and nightmares. Her mom, Miriam forced her to attend the execution of the man who murdered her dad, when she was only eight-years-old.

His name was Silas Barnes. She recalled his wife and son. She also remembered the horrors of his claim of innocence until the very end. She is haunted by the family he left behind. She always suspected something was not right.

Dot, an African woman, also works in the kitchen with Ginny. She is like a mother to her. (loved her). She has always been there for her to pick up the pieces.

On a side note: Love the show "Queen Sugar." If there is a movie based on this book, would love to see Dot played by Tina Lifford or one of the strong leading ladies. Ginny played by Jessica Elise De Gouw, and Roscoe by Christopher Meloni from "Underground." Love this show and hope it comes back for another season.

No one can understand why Ginny is so concerned about the death row prisoners, and their last meal. Her madness started the day she was forced to witness the execution of her father’s killer.

Ginny is now almost thirty years old. She is unsure she loves Roscoe, but she has feelings for him. She knew she did not want to raise children in this compound.

Currently, Ginny is concerned about the next execution in less than a week. Samuel LeBoux. He will be her nineteenth execution she has witnessed.

She wants to ensure he has his last meal. She would seek out the prisoner, the family, and try to determine their most memorable dish. Ginny would do her best to replicate it, even using her own money.

Some thought a man only hours from dying would not be able to enjoy a meal. He has done horrible things. Does he deserve such a right?

Ginny feels differently. It was not the act of eating. It was something memorable the prisoner may have treasured from his past.

Memory and loss, more than hunger and pleasure. She believed it was a sign of respect to offer them a last meal. A prisoner is a human no matter the crimes they have committed. Ginny wanted to do something special for them.

She has fond memories of her dad enjoying a tasty dessert. Even after his death, she would learn how to make a new dessert each week.

Haunted by the families who watched their loved ones die. Her grandmother always said a person’s soul drifted up from his body at the moment of death and some could see it. She still watches.

“Their fear and anger usually surpassed that of the death row inmate’s emotions, and it was a horrible thing to witness.”

The executions. The electric chairs. The families. "Ginny always wondered if taking one life for another— meant justice would be served?"

She volunteered to witness every execution and take down the prisoners’ last words, although all she had to do was drop off a tray of food and leave.

Ginny’s scrapbook of these men included the recipe of the dish he requested as his last supper and the words he uttered seconds before dying in the electric chair.

From rape, murder, and robbery and unspeakable crimes. However, the men had a family. Wives, mothers, children, and friends. What torture did they undergo inside the prison walls?

Roscoe and Ginny’s relationship becomes strained since the board visited often and Roscoe was under a lot of pressure trying to protect inmates.

Roscoe thought Ginny was trying to make up for something as if she believed the family of her dad’s murderer blamed her.

He does not want her getting to close to this current execution. What is he hiding? Roscoe has his demons from the past. Those secrets he has been forced to keep quiet.

Ginny still has nightmares about the family. The worst was the guilt of the family—Taking a father away from his son. She begged his forgiveness.

Only once in all the years had anyone screamed out he was innocent. It was Silas, her dad’s murderer. He did not receive "the last supper. " This incident still haunts her. Why does she remember now? She feels their utter despair.

Joe hadn’t died at the prison, but rather just outside of Baton Rouge. However, Miriam blamed the penitentiary. What was the real reason he died that night?

The secrets of the past surface as Ginny becomes involved with Samuel’s last meal. The real truth about that night so long ago is slowly revealed and the events leading up to the murder.

No matter how many suppers she cooked, she could never undo the pain his family endured. The devastating and lasting memory of Silas Barnes’ death. Was he innocent?

Ginny soon uncovers a shameful part of her daddy’s past. The ugly truths intertwined with Dot’s family history. From the Klan, rape, racial injustice, coverups, and murder. She must make the wrongs, rights.

Filled with sympathy and compassion, as a reader your heart goes out to Ginny. Secrets, truth, lies, heartbreak, mercy, despair, hope, and redemption.

She finds comfort in food. Food is an ongoing theme throughout the book, as well as the stories of different inmates and their requests for last meals. A sharing of cooking secrets with the writing of a cookbook.

Mikulencak deftly unravels a compelling story of heartache, courage, mercy, and love. The author has put her heart into this novel and reflective throughout. Well-researched, an astounding job with the highly-charged subject material and character-development. Darkness and light. Even though historic, we are faced with similar destructive issues today, decades later.

For fans of Diane Chamberlain, Heather Gudenkauf, Karen White, Vanessa Lafaye, Mary Marcus, Amy Conner, and Kim Richardson. THE LAST SUPPERS is an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. (guide included as well as featured recipes).

Thought-provoking fiction that exposes the dark side of our racial past and present and our ongoing corruption within our distressing prison and justice system, yet today.

Highly recommend!

A special thank you to Kensington/John Scognamiglio for an advanced reading copy. It was a pleasure meeting this talented author. Look forward to more.

I am becoming quite the fan of historical fiction and this book is one of the reasons. Taking place in the South in the 1950's and earlier, it is a great debut novel about love, forgiveness, compassion and family secrets. The story is centered around a tragic crime that was hidden for many years, it's consequences affecting almost every character in the book. I had trouble putting this one down and will be definitively recommending it. This author has a bright future ahead.

Mandy Mikulencak has written a poignant, classic story of real life in the 1950’s. The racism......about color, gender, and even class. Being raised on the grounds of a penitentiary, witnessing the death of your father’s killer at 8 years old, little support from her mother have lol deeply scarred Ginny. The mystery behind some of the crimes will not only shock you, but give you much to think about.
A very interesting read that pulls you into the ‘50’s along side Jenny as you meet the people in her life. They, more than Ginny help show who she is and shy.

This poignant, dark, and timely book was a wonderful read. Ginny Polk works at the Louisiana Prison where her daddy was a guard and where his murderer died in the electric chair. As Ginny prepares last suppers for the men on death row, she is pulled to her own history to the electric chair. What she finds out will change her life forever.
It was an easy read and I enjoyed the intrigue and mystery of it!