The HundredFoot Journey, Richard C. Morais
The HundredFoot Journey, Richard C. Morais
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The Hundred-Foot Journey
A Novel

Author: Richard C. Morais

Narrator: Neil Shah

Unabridged: 8 hr 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/07/2012

Categories: Fiction

Synopsis

“That skinny Indian teenager has that mysterious something that comes along once a generation. He is one of those rare chefs who is simply born. He is an artist.”And so begins the rise of Hassan Haji, the unlikely gourmand who recounts his life’s journey in this charming novel. Lively and brimming with the colors, flavors, and scents of the kitchen, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a succulent treat about family, nationality, and the mysteries of good taste.Born above his grandfather’s modest restaurant in Mumbai, Hassan first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy pushes the family out of India, they console themselves by eating their way around the world, eventually settling in Lumière, a small village in the French Alps.The boisterous Haji family takes Lumière by storm. They open an inexpensive Indian café opposite an esteemed French restaurant—that of the famous chef Madame Mallory—and infuse the sleepy town with the spices of India, transforming the lives of its eccentric villagers and infuriating their celebrated neighbor. Only after Madame Mallory wages culinary war with the immigrant family does she finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris, the launch of his own restaurant, and a slew of new adventures.The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages—charming, endearing, and compulsively readable.

About Richard C. Morais

Richard C. Morais, author of The Hundred-Foot Journey, is a contributing editor at Barron’s in New York. An American raised in Switzerland, he was stationed in London for seventeen years, where he was Forbes’ European bureau chief.

About Neil Shah

Neil Shah is an Audie-nominated and multi AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator who has recorded over 250 audiobooks spanning across almost every genre, as well as numerous long-form journalism articles. AudioFile magazine has commended him for “an absolutely mesmerizing listening experience” and as “an outstanding narrator who adds a healthy dose of personality to each of the characters.” As a classically trained actor, he has appeared off Broadway and on regional stages, as well as in film and television. He records from his home studio in Oregon’s beautiful Wine Country.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Chris on March 05, 2013

Working on a book committee for our Library, I was encouraged to read this for our program this year. The colorful programming possibilities covering four cultures, a variety of foods, music and tastes was intriguing. Unfortunately the book falls short on several points and we probably will not be u......more

Goodreads review by Jeffrey on March 31, 2023

An entertaining enough story that takes us through the youth, adulthood, and success of cooking prodigy Hassan who finds himself a master chef in a country of fabulous Chefs. The story clips along and has plenty of sensory images and food-related stuff to dazzle any food or cooking lover. That being......more

Goodreads review by Robyn on August 04, 2014

This novel is a prime example of a "Kevin White's Description of How A Five-Year-Old Writes" story. This thing happened. And then this next thing happened. And then, and then! A thing happened. Another thing happened. Things things things. I had to constantly remind myself that this was a work of fi......more

Quotes

“A gorgeous novel, vivid and intimate, tracing a journey from kitchen to kitchen, from culture to culture, with a perfect touch.” Susan Orlean

“Outstanding! A completely engaging human story heavily larded with the lushest, most high-test food porn since Zola. Easily the best novel ever set in the world of cooking—and absolutely thrilling from beginning to end. I wished it went on for another three hundred pages.” Anthony Bourdain

“Richard C. Morais conjures a richly woven tapestry of exotic sights, smells, and tastes that transports the reader to a world of epicurean delights. This is a charming, deeply felt novel that questions, and ultimately celebrates, the twists and turns of an authentically lived life.” Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author

“The novel’s charm lies in its improbability: it’s Slumdog Millionaire meets Ratatouille.” New York Times Book Review

“Serious foodies will swoon. Morais throws himself into the kind of descriptive writing that makes reading a gastronomic event.” Washington Post

“[A] delicious fairy-tale-like read.” NPR

“An exquisite piece of literary gastroporn. I mean this in the best possible way. You read this first novel at the peril of your gut. I devoured this delectable book in a couple of sittings.” Philadelphia Inquirer

“A very good book. At times it reminds me of Salman Rushdie and Naguib Mahfouz, of Julia Child and Madhur Jaffrey…Certain passages…sing like a beautiful ragout of spring’s freshest vegetables in a perfect consommé topped with farm-fresh egg.” Forbes.com

“I enjoyed this book very much. It has great charm and is colorfully written, sensual, and evocative.” Joanne Harris, internationally bestselling author of Chocolat

“A page-turner that captures the extent to which nostalgia and imagination are a part of the craft of cooking, while vividly conjuring the sights and smells of the kitchen. In The Hundred-Foot Journey food isn’t just a theme, it’s a main character.” Tom Colicchio, chef and owner of Craft restaurants

Awards

  • New York Times   Bestseller
  • Indie Next List
  • SoundCommentary.com’s The Best of the Best
  • Audible Pick
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