A Spoonful of Time

Someone asked me to find her some time travel books in the library and A Spoonful of Time popped up among the books.

The book involves a middle school Korean-American girl who lives around the present time.  [I listened to a bit of a podcast with the author and she noted she first wrote a form of the story a few years back.]  Her dad died years back and her mom is stressing up raising her alone, even before her own mom (whose memory is slipping) suddenly popped up one day.

Maya is happy to see her grandmother, especially when she cooks traditional meals, which her mom no longer wishes to do.  And, her grandmom shows her how to travel thru time through the power of the memories of food.  Maya meets a boy her own age in her travels.  Meanwhile, she has her bestie at home though there are some complications there when she falls for another classmate.

(The fact the two friends here are of different nationalities and that one likes a girl -- only late is "dating" dropped without fanfare -- is handled as no big thing.  Which is as it should be.  It's 2023.)  

The author (like the mom in the story) works in law, loves pugs (her Twitter feed is filled with pictures of them) -- Maya and her mom have a dog -- and knows about Korean food.  So, Flora Ahn mixes in some of what she knows.  This appears to be her first full-length young adult book, though she has what is labeled "chapter books" about two pugs.  

The food/time travel concept is creative.  The book has some interesting ideas about the nature of time travel.  And, Maya and her grandmother  [well ... there's a twist there] are no experts on how it all works.  Why would they?  Having special talents does not mean you know all the tricks.  A good cook does not always know exactly how all the cooking works.  There is some "art" involved that is natural to the person.

I liked the book.  This is a case where my closest relationship would be with the mother even if the daughter is the main character.  But, this doesn't mean -- like for many young adult books -- only children and teens would like it.  The book is not "dumbed down" in its tone without being inappropriately complex (it is a third-person narrator from the perspective of Maya).  It also tells a family story with a time travel twist. 

The book includes some recipes for the Korean dishes referenced.  Finally, the book has some serious themes, including the loss of a parent.  But, it is not totally depressing.  Its plot makes sure not to be.  I think perhaps it does this once too often. OTOH, maybe a sequel will tell us more.  The book clearly sets us up for further adventures of some kind.  

(Recall it is a plot; it is not like this stuff actually happened! There is a disclaimer on the copyright page and everything.)  

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The handling of loss is an important theme in the story and warrants tossing in something I was thinking about somewhat connected to it. 

One thing that strikes me is how some people turn against God, at least temporarily when something happens. I know someone like this: they were very upset when a closed loved one suffered.  But, it is not like no one else suffers. Or, that other people's own families did not suffer in the past.  

We should not just think people are silly or selfish.  People are human.  They compartmentalize and things change when something serious happens to them personally.  I'm sure the same happened to me at times in some fashion.  And, not only do different people react differently, they often react depending on how old they are or for any number of reasons.

Another thing is that I think of God as a sort of poetic metaphor.  Going with that, think things thru.  A person close to you suffering is likely to change your world.  Your own sense of "good" and "just" is given a shake.  Your own world has become less godly, even if suffering is an ancient reality, and that one more person doing so is not a novel thing. 

A person questioning "God" should be seen in this context. The person is questioning the overall sense of goodness in the world and in their own world.  Not everyone thinks of the universe as something where a typical Christian-type version of God is the focus.  My understanding, for instance, is that Hindus have a broader view of "god stuff."  

Anyway, when we consider our roles in the universe and how people react to it, we should be humble and compassionate.  We should also think things through (not everyone deeply contemplates things; we can do this in different ways).  Consider the concept of "inyeon," referenced in the book, which roughly describes the ties between two people over their lifetimes.