Five Quarters of the Orange Book Report

I finished this great book by Joanne Harris. It's told by a 9 yr. old Framboise Dartigen in Nazi occupied France. She comes back as an adult under an alias to resurrect the burned out remains of her family's home & reputation. The suspense of finding out the real truth of what happened to this family can be alternatingly engaging and irritating (clue: the diary/recipe book has parts written in code by the mother). It's about mothers and and daughters, and the relationship between a Nazi man and all the members of this family. Food is mentioned a lot, so it makes you hungry to read it------the author also wrote CHOCOLAT. I loved some of the recipes in this book, and wonder if they are correct?

The mother who is frequently ill with migraines is a gifted cook who wills her diary & recipes to the daughter. She a tortured soul whose love for her children is soured by her fear & anger. As her children run wild to escape her shouts & slaps, she becomes addicted to drugs. There are secrets in the family that destroys some of the members----while others try to forget. After the older Framboise comes back and starts a restaurant, other members of the family find out and want her recipes. When she refuses, they try to sabatoge her life.

I thought it was well-written and I loved the ending.