Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang

genre: speculative/climate fiction

Smog has created an earth devoid of fresh food.  The lack of sunlight and clear air has rendered the human population reliant on the sort of processed food that lies limp in the mouth, tasteless but will keep one alive.  But, is that a life worth living?  For the chef, the answer is no. Because when she is offered an opportunity to be a private chef for an investor who thinks he can save the world, she takes it, not knowing the real cost of the job that puts her in a position of catering to a group of elites whose money might be the key to the earth's salvation.

This book really intrigued me and lived up to what I'd imagined.  There is a lot going on, both between the chef and her employer but also the chef and the new world that's evolved.  As someone passionate about food and flavor, her tongue rules her life in some ways and I found both her inner world and the plot itself to just be beautifully raw and exposed.  Nothing is shied away from in this novel - I was disgusted and horrified and surprised in turn but none of it felt unbelievable, the economics of survival, the food as vehicle for lust and sensual pleasure, the horror of what we can do to animals as well as each other - I believed it.  I was so grateful for the last few chapters that tied up lingering questions and gave things perspective. 

Content warning: some sensuality, animal cruelty, language