We stan Jesse Q. Sutanto in this household! From the iconic Vera Wong and Dial A for Aunties series to her works in YA, we at THP are slightly seriously obsessed with her books. Now that her newest adult novel is here, we get to gush all about it!
Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block follows 63-year-old Mebel Tanadi, an almost-divorcee who enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband. She’s used to an opulent life with glitz and glam, until her dream of studying French cuisine takes her to a humble village outside of Oxford, England.
We have not been this invested in a story in a long time. Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block had us giggling, screaming, and crying proud tears. Here are three things we love about Jesse Q. Sutanto‘s latest book!
Book Overview: Ms. Mebel Goes Back To The Chopping Block
Content warnings: mentions of sexual assault and harassment, divorce
Summary: Retirement should mean long-awaited trips to the sapphire waters of Santorini or careening down a sand dune in Dubai. For sixty-three-year-old Mebel, retirement means her husband of more than forty years announcing that he’s leaving her for their private chef. Mebel isn’t sure who’s the bigger loss.
Not to worry, Mebel has the perfect plan: she’s going to win back her husband. No one knows what he needs better than her—after all, she’s been anticipating his needs their whole marriage. And if he wants a wife who can cook (why else would he leave her for a chef?), she will simply go to cooking school. And where better to learn to cook for your husband than France, the most romantic country in the world?
However, Mebel quickly learns that she has mistakenly enrolled in a culinary school not in glamorous Paris but rather in England—and in some small village outside of Oxford no less. Despite the less-than-warm welcome from her much younger classmates, Mebel manages to befriend Gemma, the breakout star of the program. And this unlikely friendship starts to show Mebel that maybe there’s more to her than being the perfect trophy wife…
Mebel’s Reality Check
Although Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block isn’t necessarily a riches-to-rags story, Mebel’s life does take a 180-degree turn when she goes from trophy wife to chef-in-training. When she gets to the culinary school in England, Mebel faces a culture shock when her age and status doesn’t mean much anymore. She’s a first-year student, just as much as the twenty-something-year-olds in the class. Mebel doesn’t get special treatment because she’s an elder, nor do her classmates automatically defer to her like they would in back home in Indonesia.
Dramatic & Hilarious
Another thing we love about Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block is how well it balances drama and humor. On the one hand, Ms. Mebel deals with much drama and tension within her failing marriage and family. She’s reeling from losing her husband of 40 years, the man who makes up most of her identity. On the other hand, Mebel’s bluntness and newfound spontaneity make for the most hilarious moments. (See: the scene with the cigarette.) The only times we put this book down were when we’d laugh so hard we couldn’t breathe.
Womanhood On Top
Finally, Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block puts womanhood at the forefront. We love the friendships between Mebel and her classmates, Gemma and Bella. They prove that bonds over girlhood and womanhood can happen between any one of any age. From getting ready for dates and nights out to working doubly hard on lessons and the final competition, Mebel demonstrates that her age has nothing on her. When she realizes her self-worth is greater than societal expectations and familial pressures, Mebel is unstoppable.
Filled with hilarious quips, drastic reality checks, and a well-seasoned fling, Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block redefines womanhood and what it means to be “too old” to do something. What’s not to love about it?
Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto comes out April 28th, and you can order a copy of it here!
What do you think of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s latest novel? Are you excited to read Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block? Let us know on Twitter! You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JESSE Q. SUTANTO:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE
