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Mother for Dinner

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Mother for Dinner

By: Shalom Auslander
Narrated by: Shalom Auslander
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About this listen

Seventh Seltzer has done everything he can to break from the traditions of the past, but in his overbearing, narcissistic mother’s last moments, she whispers in his ear the two words he always knew she would: ‘Eat me’.

This is not unusual, as the Seltzers are Cannibal Americans, a once proud and thriving ethnic group, but for Seventh, it raises some serious questions. Of practical concern, she’s six-foot-two and weighs more than 30 stone - even divided up between Seventh and his 11 brothers, that's a lot of red meat. Plus Second keeps kosher, Ninth is vegan and Sixth is dead. To make matters worse, even if he can wrangle his brothers together for a feast, the Can-Am people have assimilated, and the only living Cannibal who knows how to perform the ancient ritual is their uncle Ishmael, a far-from-reliable guide.

Beyond the practical, Seventh struggles with the sense of guilt and responsibility he feels - to his mother, to his people and to his unique cultural heritage. His mother always taught him he was a link in a chain, stretching back centuries. But he’s getting tired of chains.

Shalom Auslander's Mother for Dinner is an outrageously tasty comedy about identity and inheritance, the things we owe our families and the things we owe ourselves.

©2020 Shalom Auslander (P)2020 Penguin Random House LLC
Dark Humour Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Fiction Comedy

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Critic reviews

"The funniest novel of the decade." (Sunday Times)

"Extremely funny, weirdly touching and acute about families." (Guardian)

"Daring, provocative and controversial...a work of genius." (Scotsman)

All stars
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I loved this. Dark, thought provoking, funny, heartbreaking. A real journey. Couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend.

Could not stop listening

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This is just simple fun from start to finish. Loved everything about it. Surprised by moments of tenderness and sometimes just unabashed raw love and grief. I've just finished and there's something that lingers but I haven't yet had it settle long enough to name it. All I know is it's something good. Satisfying. I miss Mud already.

Auslander Serves

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I came across this book by chance and was not disappointed. Unusual and thought provoking ; this book challenges everything we thought about identity, belonging and human connection. An intriguing, emotional and darkly funny story, written with flair and a deeply human understanding.

Unusual, dark, funny and poignant!

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