Set in 1950s Louisiana, Mandy Mikulencak’s beautifully written and emotionally moving novel evokes both The Help and Dead Man Walking with the story of an unforgettable woman whose quest to provide meals for death row prisoners leads her into the secrets of her own past.Many children have grown up in the shadow of Louisiana’s Greenmount State Penitentiary. Most of them—sons and daughters of … them—sons and daughters of corrections officers and staff—left the place as soon as they could. Yet Ginny Polk chose to come back to work as a prison cook. She knows the harsh reality of life within those walls—the cries of men being beaten, the lines of shuffling inmates chained together. Yet she has never seen them as monsters, not even the ones sentenced to execution. That’s why, among her duties, Ginny has taken on a special responsibility: preparing their last meals.
Pot roast or red beans and rice, coconut cake with seven-minute frosting or pork neck stew . . . whatever the men ask for Ginny prepares, even meeting with their heartbroken relatives to get each recipe just right. It’s her way of honoring their humanity, showing some compassion in their final hours. The prison board frowns upon the ritual, as does Roscoe Simms, Greenmount’s Warden. Her daddy’s best friend before he was murdered, Roscoe has always watched out for Ginny, and their friendship has evolved into something deep and unexpected. But when Ginny stumbles upon information about the man executed for killing her father, it leads to a series of dark and painful revelations.
Truth, justice, mercy—none of these are as simple as Ginny once believed. And the most shocking crimes may not be the ones committed out of anger or greed, but the sacrifices we make for love.
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One of the best books I’ve read all year.
Quite different with a surprising twist. Not easy subject to cover.
The South in the 1950’s from a different perspective.
Pretty good read. Never read a book about this before.
Great premise. Couldn’t put it down. Loved the historic context and the fully fleshed characters – just the right amount of mystery thrown in, like salt in a soup.
I read it quickly and really liked it until getting close to the end where I felt the ending felt hurried and not attached to the story. But the concept of it was something I’d never given thought to and it was an easy read and pleasant story.
This book kept me intrigued to see where the story was headed. It was a unique idea with history intertwined.
This is a thought provoking novel by an author who is new to me but after reading this has been added to my list of favorite authors. It’s a dark book that addresses controversial issues of the 50s many of which still exist today. The main character is so well written that the reader is able to feel her pain and confusion as she navigates her life the best she knows how.
Ginny Polk is in charge of the kitchen at a prison in Louisiana in the early 50s. It’s a rough place to work but she grew up there because her late father was a guard and they had housing provided. Ginny is a very compassionate woman and one of her personal goals is to fix the last meal of the prisoners who are being put to death. She talks to them or their family before the last meal to find out what they really want for this final meal. The executions all take a large toll on Ginny because her mother made her witness the execution of the man who killed her father when she was only 8. Her early life could have made Ginny into a hard person but instead she is strong and independent much to the dismay of the prison board who doesn’t like the special dinners that she makes for the condemned men.
Truth, justice, mercy—none of these are as simple as Ginny once believed. And the most shocking crimes may not be the ones committed out of anger or greed, but the sacrifices we make for love.
This is a wonderful book about tough subjects but it is well balanced by Ginny and her attitudes toward the prisoners. She is very well written and a character that I won’t soon forget.
This historical fiction is an emotional tear-jerker that takes us through the prison system set during the age of the KKK and racism. Taken from the pov of the prison cook, this tender-hearted women draws us into the emotional turmoil that she faces. Wonderful read. Highly recommended.
recommended to a book club and they all loved it
Such an unusual and surprising book, it took a path I never saw coming.
Author describes what that period in time in south LA was really like!
It was an interesting experience in the lives that are spent in a correctional institution before there was much reformation of the system. It showed how brutal man can be to other men and how little compassion or understanding there was to criminals or for the people who were in charge of them. Sad , heart wrenching subject.
Good read. Different kind of story. Keeps your interest.
Absolutely LOVED this book!
Beauty can be found in unexpected places, and such is the case in Mandy Mikulencak’s stunning debut novel, The Last Suppers. Set in a Louisiana penitentiary, Ginny Polk cooks the last meals for death row inmates. But not everyone around her understands her compulsion to fulfill these final wishes. Truth, justice, mercy, and redemption are the ingredients of Mikulencak’s immensely satisfying story.
The ending was troubleome. But not surprising!
it was OK
Interesting premise…and there are recipes at the end.
A very good read.