The Roux in the Gumbo

Kim Robinson’s Roux in the Gumbo is an unadorned and refreshing look at the life and times of a family from 1850 to the present. Biographical in nature, the story flows well, from character to character in chronological order, and is interspersed with pithy narrative, poetry and even a recipe (which I may have to try out). One of my favorite lines from Roux in the Gumbo was “Every person’s life is like a pot of gumbo, you get out what you put in”.

This work is large on human suffering and details the many atrocities of life, from birth to death, saints to sinners, and all variations of good and evil in between. There is humor, pain, love, lust, and every other human emotion you can think of. This was an easy story to read, with accurate historical descriptions and characters that inspired strong feelings - you either love them or hate them, depending.

Kim Robinson shows great imagination in this innovative and interesting look at who we are as people and how the choices we make affect our descendants. Her words and scenes are well chosen and her characters are lively. Roux in the Gumbo was wonderful and entertaining.

Reviewed by: Michelle