The Butcher and the Vegetarian by Tara Austen Weaver
The Butcher and the Vegetarian: One Woman’s Romp Through a World of Men, Meat, and Moral Crisis by Tara Austen Weaver. © 2010 Rodale Books. ISBN 0743289689. Hardback. Memoir/Non-Fiction. 240 pages. $23.99 US. [ Purchase ] Source: purchased at University of Washington bookstore
I suppose it is only appropriate to offer the caveat that having followed Ms. Weaver’s blog for the past year, I was overjoyed at the opportunity to support her writing (and food-loving) efforts by purchasing this book and attending her first reading. Hearing some of the background and side stories whetted my appetite to indulge in the book itself, and I was not disappointed (although I am inclined to agree with the author and her agent that a question mark would have better suited the cover in place of the heart between the butcher and customer).
Having read my fare share of trite literature lately, Weaver’s stylistic approach to language was refreshing. As a hybrid of food-writing and memoir, she skillfully combined facts and research about the production of meat with stories and then wove them back to relate to her own life. The book begins with the premise that she grew up a vegetarian but later, suffering from health problems, undertook the addition of meat to her diet upon her doctors’ recommendation. Read more
