Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson tells his unique story in this memoir. Born in Ethiopia, he was just three years old when he was left with his older sister at the hospital where their mother died of tuberculosis. Adoption brought the two to Sweden, where they grew up with soccer, pop music, and traditional Swedish cooking. After realizing his future was not in athletics, Samuelsson followed his passion for food across Europe and across the Atlantic to New York, eventually becoming a familiar face on the Food Network. Celebrity and money allowed him to then reconnect with his roots in Ethiopia, and his joy and pride at being able to help his half-siblings shines through.

Despite some meandering and repetition, the story is engaging, providing a glimpse behind the scenes of some famous kitchens and a look at what aspiring chefs endure in addition to the author's particular challenges. I read the book as a netGalley edition, which did not include the lovely black-and-white photos that are included in the finished book.