Review of Sourdough by Robin Sloan

You know that feeling when you read two really good books in a row?  After finishing what was an excellent book, I started reading Sourdough by Robin Sloan and found myself again in an amazing novel.

The main character of Sourdough is Lois Clary.  Lois works for a tech company called General Dexterity in San Francisco. She literally eats and sleeps there most days.  Barely having time to eat, they slurp something from a tube.

One night, Lois decides to call a local restaurant for take out.  She orders a spicy soup and meets one of the owners (a pair of brothers) as he delivers her food.  He has an accent she can’t quite place, but the soup is amazing.  It feeds not just her stomach, but her soul.  She orders it so much, they nickname her “Number One Eater.”

When the brothers are forced to leave the US, they give her a gift crock of sourdough starter.  Lois begins to bake bread.  Not just any bread, but a special sourdough bread.

From there, Lois’s like takes a completely different turn.  The rest of the story is told in part from Lois and in part from the brother’s emails.

This is the story of relationships, goals, determination.  It’s brilliant and quirky.  I loved it every bit as much as his other book,  Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.

I received an ARC of the book.