Memoir Mondays — Fresh Off The Boat by Eddie Huang
A first hand account of the modern American immigrant experience, this memoir weaves humor, food, and pop culture references in to create the platform for a one-of-kind voice to emerge.
Here’s how it CATCHes readers:
Character — Eddie Huang is a TV personality and celebrity chef but even his most ardent fans couldn’t have possibility predicted he’d be such a delight on the page. Huang mixes street talk with serious sociological insights in one paragraph and recounts an uproarious life lesson the next. He’s relentless in a way that suits him so even when he’s peacocking, you’re willing to let it slide.
Adventure — Risk often goes hand-in-hand with reward and since before the moment Huang was born, it was already in his blood to go for it. Throughout his formative years, Huang exudes this chance-taking quality and it leads him into some street-level swashbuckling, hijinks, and a number of unforeseeable turns before he finally finds his path. Some people say a young life (Huang was barely 30 when this was released) isn’t memoir-worthy. This book has at least double the excitement as most memoirs written by people twice his age.
“I guess it’s the only place I didn’t have to explain anything. Everyone was in-between. The relief of the airport and the opportunity to reflect on my trip helped me realize that I didn’t want to blame anyone anymore. Not my parents, not white people, not America.”
Tribulation — Huang’s knack for putting it all on the line gets him into hot water (and handcuffs) on more than one occasion. He doesn’t often find straightforward redemption either, but in his own realist way, he manages to cast light on his mistakes nearly as even handedly as criticizing the circumstances that might have contributed to them.
Culture — Perhaps the strongest and most anticipated parts of his memoir are about food. Cuisine, like language, is as impossible to separate from culture has history itself. Whether its his discussion of Taiwanese technique, appreciation for Southern kitchen hospitality, or the Manhattan’s restaurant trench-warfare, Huang manages not to just showcase his own culinary knowledge but also how, why and where food has made him who he has become.
Honesty — As much as Huang comes out and says how he feels, you get the sense that there is more than a little discrepancy between who he is and the persona he puts on. It’s sometimes tough to tell when or if he’s serious. As many unabashed admissions as he has, this memoir carries a subtext of a fierce internal challenge he’s going through about what he actually thinks about certain things. It’s hard to be honest about certain topics if you haven’t figured things out just yet.
CATCH score: 7/10