Shiva, Food & Ghosts: Interview with Jael McHenry

 

Jael McHenry's debut novel, The Kitchen Daughter, has received much praise for it's many fascinating angles, from life with undiagnosed Asperger's syndrome to cooking and conjuring up ghosts.  But as I read it, another, completely unexpected element of the story grabbed my attention: the Jewish tradition of sitting shiva after a death, and of bringing meals to the family of the bereaved.  I couldn't help wondering what inspired Jael, who doesn't have a Jewish background (don't let...