A Spoonful of Time

February 27, 2023
Food forms a bridge across time in this affectionately wrought contemporary novel from Ahn (the Pug Pals series). In Southern California, Korean American seventh grader Maya lives in a “still and silent” house with her single mother, who works long hours at a law firm. Quiet gives way to a tense family dynamic, however, when Maya’s maternal grandmother, Halmunee, comes to stay, upsetting Maya’s mom. Halmunee, who has dementia, loves to cook, and she reintroduces Maya to an array of Korean foods. As the two bond over making patbingsu one day, they are seemingly transported to the past, where they see Maya’s younger grandparents and mother enjoying the treat. Through this event, Halmunee reveals that she can travel through time, using food as a connection between moments. Though Maya tries to glean more information about her father, who died when she was three, and about her mother’s complicated relationship with Halmunee, her mother remains taciturn and secretive about the past, until Maya’s attempts to balance her own life and new abilities come to a boiling point. Maya’s changing understanding of her mother, and evocative descriptions of food and its link to memory carry this light speculative read, which offers up a sweet intergenerational relationship that connects past and present. Recipes, along with illustrations from Park, are interspersed throughout. Ages 8–12. Agent: Melissa Edwards, Stonesong.