Taste For Paprika [Paperback]

'"A Taste for Paprika" is a tenderly written history of love and loss and, ultimately, renewal, its secrets unfolding through the commotion of generations in the quieter moments of life: in kitchens, at tables, beneath the silver ting of soup spoons.' -- Natale Ghent, author of "No Small Thing"

'Laura Elise Taylor writes of—and with—courage, passion, and hope, bridging vast differences of age and experience, language and culture, to bring herself, her family, and her readers to that bittersweet place we all long for—home.' -- Janice Kulyk Keefer, author of "Thieves"

We each have our own recipes for history, our own way of blending the ingredients of memory into a palatable tale. What follows are my Oma’s stories, as I have heard them since before I could talk. And my mother’s story, as best I can guess it. Ultimately, though, this recipe is mine...

In this unflinching yet lyrical memoir, Laura Elise Taylor brings together the stories of three generations of women who have lost the men they loved. From a small village on the Austro-Hungarian border to modern Canada, through war, illness, and tragedy, the stories told in Oma’s kitchen have helped Laura understand who she is and where she came from. But some parts of this story have never been told, and it is up to Laura to piece together a complete tale from this collection of reminiscences—a recipe for a whole life.

LAURA ELISE TAYLOR has studied creative writing with Janice Kulyk Keefer and Greg Hollingshead, and holds an M.A. from the University of Alberta. Born in Port Credit, Ontario, she works as a freelance writer and documentary photographer in Guelph, Ontario. She is the coauthor and main photographer of a popular science book on cottage culture, forthcoming from Boston Mills Press in 2006. When not writing or shooting, you will find her on a canoe trip, salsa dancing, or, if she’s lucky, on the road less travelled.