This book really feels like a labor of love! I share so many sentiments with the author of loved ones passed but with their essences still lingering, especially in the kitchen. I’m sure other readers will feel the same. Crystal Wilkerson is a very talented writer and I look forward to reading more of her work. Historical and imagined all in one book with old, priceless photos. Enjoyed it and am even trying some of the recipes!

This is more than just your average cook book. This is history, a memoir of struggle and strife. The author shares her family's stories as she shares their recipes. This is poignant and something I'd like to see as a new trend. Trying these recipes feels like meeting family,

Wow what a beautiful book. I enjoyed learning all this history about food in Black Appalachia. This is such an interesting read. I feel like I learn so much about Appalachian culture and how it is different than what everyone has seen thus far.

A great book club book for discussion.

Thanks NetGalley for a chance to read this book.

Thank you, @netgalley , the author @crystalwilki , and the publisher @tenspeedpress an imprint of @clarksonpotter for this earc copy in return for an honest review.

When I applied for this book through netgalley, I wasn't too sure exactly what I was getting into. I am a history buff at heart and love learning new recipes. So this book sounded right up my alley. Though what I wasn't expecting was to be brought to tears on multiple occasions. Crystals' family history is fascinating and moving, and I couldn't help but reflect on my own. My life is not comparable at all, but what is is the love and connection we both share from cooking recipes passed down through the matriarchs in our lives and the ones from the past.
I loved the sentiment of making recipes better or becoming a better chef than those before us. I feel like that's ultimately what our family wants from us to be better. To take what they taught us and use them as the foundation to build on top of.Though sometimes I feel like I get caught up in keeping things the same to preserve them. When in reality tweaking them as I gain more knowledge is also keeping tradition alive.

I really enjoyed this style of memoir and always find it fascinating how much you can learn about a person when they talk about food and what they ate as a child. Food is a gateway to the soul and a tether to our ancestors, and The Prariesong for the Kitchen Ghosts illustrates this beautifully.

In the interest of full disclosure, this review is specifically regarding a DRC copy of the book from Net Galley, so while I imagine this eBook was pretty close to finalized, some details may have been changed between my copy and the official release.

Many thanks to Net Galley for the advance reading copy of this fantastic eBook.

I would recommend this book to people with an interest in a wide variety of cultural foodways or particularly in Black, Appalachian, and/or southern foodways; anyone specifically interested in reading about Appalachian culture with a focus on the diversity of Appalachian experiences; and I would love for well-meaning outsiders who have misconceptions about Appalachian culture as inherently white to read this and widen their understanding. I also think a lot of my fellow white Appalachians need to read books like this, because I’ve seen a lot of people fail to grasp that Black Appalachian folks are not any less Appalachian than we are. I think the strongest aspect of this book is the throughline of grief and connection through cuisine as a distinxt expression of love, memory, and appreciation. On the flipside, I don’t think any aspect of this book is weak. I expected there to be a little more photography than there was, and I think more of it being featured wouldn’t hurt; overall, it’s well-balanced. I’m looking forward to checking out Wilkinson’s fiction oeuvre as part of my endeavor to read more Appalachian literature.

The construction of the text guides us through personal and familial anecdotes, as well as the context in which the foods came to be what they are, before showing us the recipes featured in those memories. Photography spreads of meals at hand accompanies the recipes, and photographs of Wilkinson’s family and ancestors are peppered throughout the book. The exposition through anecdotes is masterful, gorgeous—it’s incredibly evocative, effective at painting an image of memories for the reader, so intimate that it feels like our own. Every morsel of this book was impactful to me; half of this book resonated deeply in my soul as an Appalachian and the other half conveyed to me new dimensions of Black Appalachian history and culture. On just as many levels as I can’t relate to Wilkinson, I relate to her deeply. I get the impression that she chose what to include in this book very deliberately, and she did a wonderful job at that.

There’s a powerful throughline here of finding one’s ancestral path and identity through cuisine, of grief and love, of survival and homage. The recurring theme of connecting with family, alive and dead, over shared experiences and illuminating the dark corners of memory, with cuisine as a conduit, is staggeringly poignant and squeezes my heart. Wilkinson’s writing style is absolutely stunning. Syntax and phrasing is distinct and fresh, conveying meaning and intention clearly without recycling played-out cliches. The grammar is solid and consistent, not jumping out at me or distracting me from the reading experience at all, just how I like it. The use of description, memory, and metaphor in storytelling here are incredibly evocative and there’s a distinctly Appalachian rhythm to the writing in this book. Her words have a way of cutting right to the heart of something, and this book made me tear up every time I sat down to read it.

I absolutely “savored” this book. Every story has several recipes and every recipe has a story. Taken from Crystal’s past, the history from Indian Hill in the Appalachian’s, told the tale of hardworking loving ancestors who made due with what they had. Yet, the recipes were made with love and fortitude. The recipes I have tried and loved: Basket Meeting Green Beans and New Potatoes, Caramel Cake, Chicken Salad with Curry, Garlicky White Soup Beans, and in the Crock Pot now is Ron’s Pulled Pork.
This book is a must for all lovers of history and Good Southern Cooking. I applaud you Crystal! Very Well Done!

The recipes are so awesome. I can hardly wait to make the biscuits. I loved your stories that went with each section. I do not have many recipes that evoke those type of memories for me, but I love that you do. This is such a special cookbook. I will be getting a copy for my own kitchen. Thank you for allowing me to preview this book.

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks (Hardcover)
by Crystal Wilkinson
Note worthy book for personal history, recipes, and black history in the mountains of Kentucky.
The history shows the difficulty of black land owners in the Appalachian region. The family survived slavery, Jim crow laws, and the great depression. The family problems affect her entire life, from being raised by her grand mother, to the poverty and financial struggles. She is inspiring that she does not blame the family history for their struggles but social inequity and prejudices.
The recipes are introduced not only in the historical concepts but a modern recipes. As you read the story you want to try the recipes for the wonderous descriptions tingle your appetite.

A great book that hits the soul of the south. The author ties in her story of rich southern heritage and recipes. This is one book you want to keep and use in your collection of cookbooks. I received a complimentary copy of this book, opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, by Crystal Wilkinson is a feast for the heart and the table. It's a beautiful tribute to the women who came before by sharing the comfort food they made. As long as you are remembered you will live forever. The recipes look delicious, and I'm looking forward to making Granny Christine's Jam Cake with caramel frosting. This book brought back wonderful memories of the women who came before me.

I love the mix of memoir and food writing in Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. Crystal Wilkinson strikes the perfect balance between the two. I was born and raised in Alabama and have similar foods in my family line on my mom’s side, so there’s a strong emotional food connection. And, as a writer and spiritual director who explores themes connected to belonging and loneliness, I’m giving particular attention to how food has helped Wilkinson belong to herself, others, ghosts, and places.

This is a beautiful book. I love Wilkinson's writing and how she uses repetition and other poetic elements. Poets are my favorite prose writers. Always have been. Always will be.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts was a glorious book that included recipes and photographs to paint a colorful memoir. Wilkinson used her family history to educate readers about black Appalachia and shared anecdotes about the cuisine that kept them going. This book was a fascinating read, filled with mouth-watering recipes I can't wait to make. There isn't anything about this cookbook that I was not impressed by. I can't wait to purchase my copy and gift it to others!

Loved this book! The recipes are great and the addition of stories from the author made this book intriguing and fun to read. By the end of this book I felt very connected to the author and their family.

Thank you so much to this author, the publisher and netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.
This is so much more than a cookbook, this is a history lesson, a novel, a cookbook, and an emotional journey all wrapped in one! I fell in love with it! The history aspect isn't huge in your face it's there because you need to understand the true reality that was and still is this author, her families and so many others personal history impacted by the realities of history of their times, it sets the tone for why things were and are at the time. The novel and story is beautiful, heart wrenching and real it's not glossed over because this was her family, no it's raw, real and there and it makes you think of your family and generations past. The recipes were incredible, there was a huge variety of recipes that varied all across the board for anything you want to make and it's not very often where a cookbook has a huge variety of recipes I would love to actually make and there are so many in this book! I cried a couple of times with the memories this author helped invoke (not a bad way just kitchen ghost memories) and that is the mark of a great book. Everyone needs to read this book, this is so much more than a cookbook it is love and a hug in a book! Thank you so much to this incredible author for the opportunity to read this incredible book I really appreciate it!

This book was just lovely. I identified so much with the author's strong pull towards her ancestors, and how the very cells in her being are echoes of the strong women in time. I have ancestors in Casey Co, KY and have heard some of the stories of her African American ancestors. How very exciting to insight into the lives of women who put their heart and soul in nourishing the bodies with food. Awesome recipes! Highly recommend! #praisesongforthekitchenghosts #crystalwilkinson #netgalley #goodreads

What a beauty ❤️ I truly enjoyed flipping through this book. You can see the love filled in every page. I liked how there were family stories weaved between the recipes and the pictures were such a great touch. Very good cookbook! I’m making the greens recipe tonight!

This book is exceptional. Part cookbook, part history book, and part memoir, this book is a beautifully written tribute to the power that family and food have.

Crystal Wilkinson's "Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts" is a delectable journey through generations of Black Appalachian cooks, where recipes and stories intertwine to evoke a legacy of resilience, love, and soul-nourishing food. This is more than a cookbook; it's a poignant homage to heritage, passed down through flavors and memories, whispering tales of strength and survival.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this ebook. Crystal Wilkinson takes us on a journey to the past through today. Sharing with us memories of cooking with her family and growing up with the knowledge that food is love. I wasn’t close with my grandmothers and they weren’t people who made delicious food. So the book didn’t resonate with me like it should have. But that’s just because of my family life. I’d never heard of many of the recipes that were made in Crystal’s book. But they sound interesting.

A great food memoir makes you feel like you're part of the family, like you've sat at the table and listened to their stories, maybe throwing in a few of your own. And Crustal Wilkinson definitely pulls that off with her fabulously rich and flavorful, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, which gently reaches across time and distance and circumstances to share the memories of her family's kitchen ghosts. And, I love that phrase, btw. Like, Ms Wilkinson, I often feel the guiding presence of matriarchs when I'm cooking for the ones I love.

The narrative is conversational and wide-ranging, moving effortlessly from personal reflection to social history to family stories and back - and is done flawlessly. and then there are the recipes, woven into and yet, at the heart, of each section. Simple food that's rich with Appalachian history and meaning and, thanks to the narrative, all-important context.

Beautifully written and well-researched, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts hit all the right notes for me - as a memoir, as a recipe book, and as a commentary of family and history and the depth of roots. I'll be recommending this book to friends and family members.

Thanks to NetGalley for bringing Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts and Chrystal Wilkinson to my attention.