A novel celebrating one man’s lifelong love affair with food, Richard C. Morais’ debut novel The Hundred-Foot Journey is filled with exotic meals, clashes of culture and the irrepressible humour and challenges of everyday life. First published by HarperCollins India in 2008 in short form, The Hundred-Foot Journey has since been published in an expanded form in the US by Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner, in Australia by Allen & Unwin and in 16 other territories internationally and is currently in active film development.
The Hundred-Foot Journey
As a young boy, Hassan Haji helps his parents and grandparents in their restaurant in Mumbai. When a tragedy forces Hassan and his family to leave India, they travel until they finally settle in the sleepy town of Lumière, France.
In Lumière, Hassan’s father establishes a loud and boisterous Indian restaurant opposite a Michelin star establishment serving traditional French cuisine. Hassan is fascinated by the technique and precision of Madame Mallory and her infamous restaurant, but battle lines have been drawn between Mallory and Hassan’s father. It takes a serious accident to clear the air and offer Hassan the opportunity he has been dreaming of, to be mentored by the imperious Mallory.
Through his apprenticeship and later as he establishes his own restaurant in Paris, Hassan develops a deep and abiding love for the tastes, textures, aromas and emotion of French haute cuisine. Paris brings new challenges, friendships, distractions and triumphs, but throughout Hassan’s love for food and fine dining rises above all other considerations.
An exploration of the sensory richness and sensual pleasure of working with food, The Hundred-Foot Journey explores the way in which food and cooking connects people with their cultural heritage. Told with humour and a keen eye for sensory detail, this novel is both a story of the passions that drive some to perfect the culinary arts and an exploration of the challenges faced by those who seek to merge two distinct cultures.
Entertaining, Thought-Provoking Fiction
In a mission statement on his website, Richard Morais shares the following manifesto by which he wishes to be judged: ‘to write entertaining fiction, full of life and wit, that still contain some essential truth or provoking thought that resonate with the reader well after the story is over.’
In The Hundred-Foot Journey Morais does just that. Through the experiences of the Haji family and Hassan Haji in particular, Morais explores the everyday challenges of family life as well as the more significant challenge of transplanting from one culture to another. He also shines a spotlight on the fascinating world of the elite chef – the jealousies, pressures and passions that drive these men and women to devote their lives to the pursuit of culinary excellence.
Hassan Haji’s life story is told with warmth and humour, which offers a balance to the detailed descriptions of ingredients and food preparation. Readers are transported from the exotic spices and earthiness of Mumbai to the cultured refinement of a French haute cuisine restaurant while being simultaneously regaled with amusing family anecdotes such the ongoing marketplace battles between Hassan’s father and Madame Mallory.
Author Richard C Morais
Richard C Morais is a true citizen of the world – an American born in Portugal and raised in Switzerland who spent 17 years living in London and travelling around the world as an adult. He now lives in Philadelphia with his wife and daughter.
Employed by Forbes magazine for 25 years, Richard C Morais is the author of the unauthorised biography Pierre Cardin: The Man who Became a Label. He has won six nominations and three awards from the London-based Business Journalist of the Year Awards, the industry standard for international business coverage. His blog posts are currently featured on The Huffington Post and can also be accessed via his website.
Morais’ current project is Buddha Land Brooklyn, a novel about a Buddhist priest who builds a temple in an Italian neighbourhood in New York City.
Enjoyable Contemporary Fiction
Taking the reader on a journey from the streets of Mumbai to the elite traditional French haute cuisine restaurants of Paris, The Hundred-Foot Journey is an enjoyable exploration of how our passions and culture define who we are.
With its evocative portrayal of the scents and tastes of exotic cuisine, The Hundred-Foot Journey is an ideal gift idea for anyone with an interest in cooking and fine foods in general and French or Indian cuisine in particular. More than a novel for food-lovers, it is a story for anyone who is interested in how our heritage and culture influences our lives and the challenges and rewards of following our dreams.
Review copy details
The Hundred-Foot Journey (ISBN: 978-1-74237-374-4, 324 pages)
Join the Conversation