In a novel which is as powerfully sensuous as Suskind's Perfume and as imaginatively tasty as Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate, Averill finds his own voice, creating a unique and thoughtful coming-of-age story which, while rich in imagery, is remarkably simple and direct in its message. Food is life here, and the preparation of food and the ingredients one uses reflect the attitudes and spirit with which one approaches life and relationships.

Weston Hingler is the son of two cooks with totally different viewpoints. His father, Robert Hingler, owns the Tsil Café, where he uses robust, New World ingredients and spicy chiles and seasonings to bring the heat of southwestern cuisine to Kansas City. His mother, Maria Tito Hingler, part Italian, is a caterer who uses cultivated, Old World ingredients in a more subtle and traditional way. Stubbornly independent and wildly passionate, Robert and Maria communicate best when talking about food, marching to different drummers in the conduct of their personal lives, thereby creating innumerable challenges for their growing son. As Weston grows up, exposed to both cuisines and working, at various times, for both his parents, he must decide who he is, where he fits, who his parents really are, where each of them really comes from, and, ultimately, who he will become.

Filled with recipes which go way beyond anything most of us have ever imagined (and which, according to the acknowledgments, have actually been tested!), the book is hugely fun to read, even for someone who might not have a great deal of interest in cooking. I'll take a pass on the Dog Tamal, Roasted Maguey Worms, and Guinea Pig Stuffed with Marigolds, but I do understand why they were so important to Robert, and the Crab Cakes with Pineapple-Mango Salsa and the Jicama Salad sound absolutely delicious. This is a delightful novel, intriguing on all its many levels, and full of new insights into how and why we are what we eat.

Midway through Secrets of the Tsil Cafe, the protaganist, Wes Hingler, wakes to find his beloved dog, When Available, has died in his sleep. The dog is quietly buried, in a simple family ritual, in the garden where most of the spices and vegetables for the Tsil cafe are grown.

"We didn't eat him, Wes," says Wes' father, the cook and proprietor of the the titled restaurant, pointing to a joke about the dog's name. "But as he becomes earth, and as we live off this small patch of earth we've made ours, he will nourish us in his death as he did in his life."

And here, briefly, is the crux of the novel, which uses food as a metaphor for life -- the blending and mixing of spices and ingredients that make it interesting or bland. And as in life, there are comings and goings, births and deaths, tragedies and triums to remind us of our own place in the world.

Thomas Fox Averill creates characters you connect with. His story has been almost universally described by reviewers as a "coming of age" tale, which I guess is technically true.

Yet more importantly, it is a book about life, as told through young Wes' eyes, and it points at all the traditions, secrets and passions that run through a family. Scattered throughout are recipes -- which I have not yet challenged -- along with brief descriptions of the ingredients. And we're given engaging histories of the New World meats, vegetables, spices and fruits that appear throughout Averill's engaging little book.

This is a book that quietly draws you into its pages, keeps you there for a few hours, and when you leave, you are as satisfied and as filled as any of the customers of the Tsil Cafe, and just as eager for another entree.

Thomas Fox Averill's first published novel (following several collections of short fiction, two anthologies, and the O'Henry Prize selection) is a real gem which will appeal to all readers -- literature lovers, cooks, students, and teachers. A coming of age story, set in Kansas City, the novel traces Wes Hingler as he grows to know and understand himself against the backdrop of his mother's old world catering service and his father's new world "Tsil Cafe." Interspersed in the engaging narrative are the recipes of both worlds, recipes which are clear and educational and accessible for most cooks. Although most readers will not choose to cook with dog (when available), the ingredients will be readily available for most readers. Those who appreciate spice will revel in the recipes, but for the more delicate palates Averill shows how chile peppers can be sweet and subtle. Written with tenderness and affection while not holding back on life's realities, "Secrets of the Tsil Cafe" will be a perfect selection for teachers in universities and secondary schools. The clear definition of two cultures, the search for identity, and the joy of life fully lived permeate this work and make it an ideal vehicle for classroom discussion and for the exploration (by students and readers) of the importance of family and cultural heritage. Although I am the author's brother and have to acknowledge the "conflict of interest" in writing this review, I objectively see this as a great novel. I will be using "Secrets of the Tsil Cafe" in my own AP English classes in Manchester (MA) and in my kitchen at home with my family. I recommend this novel with pride and enthusiasm.