*One of Amazon’s 20 Best Books of 2017* Named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, Barnes & Noble, and Southern Living In his much-anticipated new novel, Robin Sloan does for the world of food what he did for the world of books in Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore Lois Clary is a software engineer at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with … at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. She codes all day and collapses at night, her human contact limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. Then, disaster! Visa issues. The brothers close up shop, and fast. But they have one last delivery for Lois: their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. She must keep it alive, they tell her–feed it daily, play it music, and learn to bake with it.
Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves daily to the General Dexterity cafeteria. The company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market, and a whole new world opens up.
When Lois comes before the jury that decides who sells what at Bay Area markets, she encounters a close-knit club with no appetite for new members. But then, an alternative emerges: a secret market that aims to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, exactly?
Leavened by the same infectious intelligence that made Robin Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore such a sensation, while taking on even more satisfying challenges, Sourdough marks the triumphant return of a unique and beloved young writer.
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A fun, casual read.
Modern, tech-y story of code, robotics and what it takes to nurture our souls, for older teens, adults of either sex.
I really enjoyed this book. Will have you racing to the kitchen to try your hand at a sourdough starter!
There was just a bit of magic and some implausibility in this book which made it fun. If you like baking, this is interesting to learn more about sourdough.
I enjoyed the San Francisco setting. Main character was believable. Two thirds through there were Imaginative/fantasy parts that I did not enjoy as much, but others probably would. This is the second book I have read by this author.
“Sourdough” by Robin Sloan is an inspirational, uplifting book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I savored it, monitoring myself so I wouldn’t read too much in one sitting.
The main character, Lois’s spare, lonely life as a computer programmer is literally ignited by the gift of a magical and mysterious sourdough starter. Being a sourdough baker myself, this idea really appealed to me.
Quirky characters populate the pages making the story that much more interesting. Sloan pokes fun at the energy bar as food substitute faze. The character of Charlotte Clingstone, as the enigmatic chef/restauranteur, is clearly based on Alice Waters, who was at the forefront of the “farm to table” movement.
I won’t reveal any more of the story because I don’t want to ruin the fun.