Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune

by Roselle Lim

[Sam@WLABB]

Natalie returned home following her mother's death to plan the funeral, and tie up some loose ends. It was supposed to be her goodbye tour of the neighborhood, but she was taken aback to find the once vibrant and flourishing community in dire need of revitalization, and apparently, Natalie was the key to bringing it back to life.

This was such a lovely and feel-good read, and I was happy to be part of Natalie's journey as she found her way back to her roots and herself. There were so many things to praise in this book, and here are five things I loved about Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Fortune.

1. The Food! - I am warning you right now - do NOT read this book on an empty stomach. Lim's love of cooking and culinary delights shines on these pages. She engaged all my senses with her vivid descriptions and full recipes. She included many dishes I have had the pleasure of tasting and even more I hope to taste.

2. The Community - Natalie's family was lucky to have landed in this neighborhood, because it was filled with so many wonderful and caring people. It was a delight getting to know all the denizens of this street, and it was beautiful the way they all bonded together to help first, Natalie's mother, and then, Natalie herself. I got some serious warm-fuzzies being around this bunch.

3. The Tan Women - Learning about Natalie's mother and grandmother gave me hope for her. She was the product of such strong women, and I knew she would find her inner strength to get through this situation, because she had such stellar role models, who had overcome adversity.

4. Chinese Culture - Lim did such a fantastic job weaving the cultural aspects into the story, and I really enjoyed learning more about Chinese customs and traditions.

5. Natalie's Personal Journey - Natalie had been untethered for quite some time, and she struggled with making permanent connections. It was wonderful seeing her find herself by digging into her history and also, uncovering some family secrets. With each additional bit she learned, I saw her eyes and her heart opening wider and wider, and the end result was stellar.

Overall, this was a heartwarming tale of love, loss, family, community, and food served up with lots of heart and a dash of magic.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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