"Monkey Weddings & Summer Sapphires" is a lovely telling of a childhood spent in Johannesburg, South Africa, and of settling into adult life and motherhood in Nova Scotia, Canada. The author's voice is strong and lyrical, with vivid dreamlike descriptors.

The narrative is told through the seasons as an insider, but also as an outsider, as someone "from away." Each season begins with a memory and a story of the season in South Africa and unfolds into life in Nova Scotia, often showing similarities and differences alongside anecdotes, co-incidences, memories, and traditions.

Recipes, collected from travels, family, and friends allows the story to be told with the foods and dishes as the conveyance. The changing seasons, the natural wild beauty that surrounds everyday life, the abundance of wild edibles and local produce all serve as the inspiration to each chapter.

Part narrative, part recipe book "Monkey Weddings & Summer Sapphires," is as comfortable in the kitchen as on the coffee table with beautiful imagery and storytelling. Long narrative headnotes and stories give readers a new way of interacting with foods, allowing them to connect in an authentic and personal style.