Mincemeat

Leonardo Lucarelli's no-holds-barred story of his slapdash journey from an unconventional childhood in India to restaurant kitchens in Rome and beyond may make listeners question the sanity of professional chefs--but not their passion for cooking. Narrator Will Damron's soft voice and casual cadence invite listeners into a world of demanding bosses and unsteady finances, grueling workdays and late-night partying. Damron's clean, clear performance is generally accent free, but his occasional Italian sounds believable and helps establish the setting of this memoir. Unlike celebrity chefs, Lucarelli's career doesn't end with a television contract; his is a less glamorous path, wrought with mistakes and bad choices as well as good luck, hard work, and supportive friends. Damron's easy-on-the-ears delivery makes this an enjoyable audiobook experience. C.B.L. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine