Food Was Her Country

Food Was Her Country / Marusya Bociurkiw
Qualicum Beach, BC: Caitlin Press, c2018.
176 p.

I read Bociurkiw's first memoir, Comfort Food for Breakups, a decade ago, and have intended to read this one ever since! But I think I read it at the right time, as I found this so powerful and engrossing when I picked it up a few weeks ago. 

Her essay in Unbound, which I recently reviewed, has a lot of crossover with this book -- some of the same material. If I hadn't read them coincidentally at the same time, I might not have realized! But it's wonderful writing so I didn't mind at all. 

Her writing is smooth and engaging, even as she talks about parents aging, family estrangement, issues of identity and sexuality, and difficult memories. She also talks about building new relationships both with her family and with chosen family, lots about food of course (she is an amazing food writer), and lots of fascinating background on being Ukrainian Canadian. She grew up in Western Canada but has lived in Toronto for a long time, so there is also that element that shapes her relationships.

There is a lot to take in here. There are many life events she shares, often using food as a connecting link. The main thread in this memoir is her relationship with her mother, and her mother's past -- both as a Ukrainian and as her specific role in their family. She and her mother communicate with food, and the writing here does not strain the metaphor at all, but makes it so beautiful. Bociurkiw's voice is gentle, honest, and grounded. You can tell she knows herself and is centred, even while ranging over her past.  

If you are interested in thoughtful, poetic examinations of family, or food, or the second or third generation immigrant experience, you will also love this. I was very taken with this one and would reread it in a flash. Very impressive style and substance, too.