CleavingA Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession

Julie Powell gets into the blood and guts, literally and metaphorically, on her followup to Julie and Julia
Julie Powell fans looking to Cleaving for more tales of love and the kitchen will be in luck — just so long as they can handle a departure from the jolly, cuddly scenes of Julie and Julia. Cleaving explores how the sausage gets made, both literally, as Powell takes on an apprenticeship at a New York butcher shop, and metaphorically, as she lays very bare the facts of the main relationships in her life, both with her husband Eric and her lover, D. The book might not be for monogamous vegetarians, as Powell is honest about the power of D's effect on her, both with herself and her husband. Meanwhile, the butchery scenes are vivid, easily the most fascinating part of the book. An ongoing theme of the story is the smell of meat that clings to Powell as she learns how to make head cheese, travels to Africa to drink fresh cow's blood and, perhaps most significantly, eats fresh heart. The book is not all blood and guts, however: Powell throws in several of her favorite carnivorous recipes into the memoir, so if you're hungry as you listen, be prepared to hit the pause button to jot down the day's grocery list.