A Spoonful of Time

by Flora Ahn (Publish date: Apr. 11, 2023)

“A Spoonful of Time” is a turbulent yet tender intergenerational story. Thirteen-year-old Maya is given the job of watchdog for her Halmunee who is suffering from dementia. Maya’s mother is distant and dad is an unknown, meant to remain so, because Maya’s mother won’t talk about him. Maya longs for those lost familial relationships.

Food is the thing that brings Maya closer to Halmunee. They begin to cook together and amazingly, travel into the past to relive Halmunee’s favorite memories. Through these trips in time, Maya begins to learn about her grandmother’s life in Korea. Then, Maya meets Jeff. Somehow, they are tied together in time. Jeff teaches Maya how to really time travel, despite the rules that she has learned from Halmunee.

Ahn has created a wonderful story filled with many dips, turns, and surprises. “A Spoonful of Time” shows how food can truly bring a family together. The recipes that Halmunee uses, edited by Maya, sound delicious! Including them within the story is genius! I would love to see a glossary to support the story.