For those of us love to travel why not explore a country through the lens of the culinary world Carole Bumpus' 'Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table' is the perfect book for you! Bumpus' prose is engaging and beautiful, truly drawing in the reader into the many notes that can be found in the culinary culture of France. The only thing that I would have loved even better would have been the incorporation of recipes throughout the chapters and not just at the end of the book. This would have interwoven the food with the people better for me, but otherwise it is a truly lovely book.

I featured this title on my blog and will provide the details directly to the publisher during the next stage of this review process

I'm all about everything French so it was a no brainer to pick this book up and give it a try! Bumpus went above and beyond bringing more than the food to the table! I cook for the people I love and pour that love into what I make. I really do find pleasure in creating a dish that everyone loves. Not only do you feel connected to the author's experiences but you'll learn about French history and traditions as well!

It's a must read if you love food and even more so if you love French cooking!

The author, along with a friend (or two) travels around France and eats "peasant" food at people's homes. (I should be so lucky to eat this "peasant" food!) Along the way, she interviews the people about their histories, especially as they relate to their experiences in World War 2.
Full of delicious food and recipes, it makes me hungry. And some really great stories.
This is the second book that I have read in the series by this author. I find the books enjoyable and relaxing. I am looking forward to her next volume.

Although the stories are quite charming and are often told when preparing or eating meals, i wish this book included some of the family recipes discussed.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
This book isn't what i expected actually, I thought it would be a cookbook but it's not. My mistake.

Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table: Book Two Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Normandy, Brittany, Loire and Auvergne: Savoring the Olde Ways takes readers on the journeys of the author, Carole Bumpus, through dozens of places in France that most of us wouldn’t think to visit until her stories take hold of us. This is the second book in the Savoring the Old Ways Series, and is both a travelogue, food memoir, and recipe book. It has an interesting setup in that the prose is in chapters to read like a novel and the recipes from the chapter are at the back of the book.

Bumpus’ stories are well-written and fascinating, at least to anyone interested in travel and food. There are quotes from famous cooks throughout. For those of us who travel, it is a great primer for finding new places to visit. It’s also nice to know about the food that will be eaten in each destination because eating is possibly the most important aspect of visiting and touring new places.

Most foodies will want to cook some of the mouthwatering and authentic recipes from each of the places Bumpus describes. The Warm Goat Cheese Salad was easy to make, and very good. There are several recipes in the queue, such as the Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Calvados, and the Meat Pie. Not all of the recipes are showstopper; rather, many are just dishes that real people will actually want to eat. The recipes are easy-to-follow and most are quite simple so that almost anyone with or without cooking experience can make them.

The only thing missing from this excellent book is photographs. Although there are drawings, that isn’t the same, and foodies like to see what the dishes should look like before they make them.

This is a nice book to take on a long airplane ride, or curl up into a corner and savor.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Bumpus does an outstanding job crafting a story of her family and their trajectory assembling it into a meaningful work and expression of unique essence. Recipes are paired well and reflect the people and place whence forth a dish has emanated. The recipes are easy to discern, regional interest is well detailed and relationships aptly explores. Bumpus’ voice is pleasant and engaging which made this a perfect read on this rainy midwestern Spring Sunday. She is the next gen Frances Mayes. Thanks Netgalley!

I received a galley of this through NetGalley.

Part travelogue, part history lesson with a genealogical bent, part cookbook: Carole Bumpus takes readers with her on a trip through Normandy, Brittany, Loire, and Auvergne. The emphasis of the book is different than I expected. I envisioned a cookbook with some context around recipes, but recipes ended up being a minor aspect--though food is very much the theme of the whole book. Instead, Carole describes, in a personable, very easy-to-relate-to voice, her travels with her dear friend Josiane. Carole absolutely adored Josiane's mother Marcelle and the three had planned to make the trip through the mother's homeland together, one last time. Then 9/11 stopped travel. Marcelle died soon after. Now, the two friends take this journey as an emotional tribute to Marcelle--and to enjoy the food and friends they make across France.

There is a book that comes before this one, which I have not read, and I had no problems at all jumping into the story at book 2.

The book offers incredible insights into French history over the past century--and not just the world wars, but also the war in Algeria something I confess I knew nothing about. The narrative is intimate. Carole writes in first person and carries a tape recorder and notebook with her everywhere, as she hopes to write about Marcelle's story with this information. Marcelle was born the day World War I ended, and she never knew if she had been legitimate. Carole and Josiane talk with family friends, explore Marcelle's childhood hometown, stay at a really cool truffle farm, and eventually meet with relatives who, thanks to the internet, have the answers that Marcelle long-sought. The very end of the book compiles recipes that are mentioned throughout.

It's a satisfying read, full of heart. I really felt like I traveled along with them--which makes me feel wistful, I admit, as my own dream trip to France was cancelled because of the pandemic. It's a very different book than I expected and I am perfectly fine with that.

I highly recommend this for people who enjoy travelogues of France and for people who love genealogy, as the search to solve family mysteries is such a driving force for the journey.

Good... Recipes.
Bad... Stories about war.
Overall fine reading with helpful recipes but do you really need to read a book or cook a dinner?

I really wanted to love this book. It has all the elements that usually make me love a book. It did have some enjoyable parts, but there weren't enough of them to make me love the book. And there were too many stories about war, which I didn't enjoy. The book was also very heavy on dialogue, maybe a little bit too heavy on dialogue. I didn't totally dislike this book, i just didn't love it.