Podcasts
Modo di Bere: Michaele Weissman on the Meaning of Bread
The Splendid Table: Food and Family with Michaele Weissman, Barkha Cardoz and Chef Pierre Thiam
Moms Don’t Have Time to Read with Zibby: Michaele Weissman, The Rye Bread Marriage: How I Found Happiness With A Partner I’ll Never Understand
Reviews of The Rye Bread Marriage
“…Michaele Weissman has written a beautiful love letter celebrating her four-decade marriage to her husband, a Latvian refugee who she did not fully understand until she understood his bread…” —Francis Lam, host of The Splendid Table podcast
“I loved this book….It made me laugh and at the end, it brought tears to my eyes…”—Zibby Owens, host of the Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast
“A charming, insightful meditation on the intersection of love, family, and food.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The prevailing tone is light, but Weissman doesn’t shy away from serious topics, including John’s trauma as a WWII refugee…the result is a witty celebration of marriage that’s sure to resonate.”—Publisher’s Weekly
“This voicey, often funny memoir is comprised of 125 chapters of varying length, some just a page, some even shorter. Here’s the entirety of chapter 41, “Marriage: Second Definition”: “Marriage: An intimate relationship existing on a continuum between love and hate, with partners perpetually suspended between the two.” Some of the chapters form short, lyrical essays; some are more journalistic. The memoir really shines when Weissman recounts research visits to Latvia and Germany… that led her to a deeper understanding of MeIngailis’ family history and the trauma of war and exile, as well as Latvian history and its unique bread.”—BookPage
“This is a superbly researched and very well written exploration of interfaith/intercultural marriage, largely told through the lens of Latvian rye bread.”—Lisa Cynamon Mayers, co-chair of the Mandel JCC Cleveland Jewish Book Festival
“Beautiful. Michaele Weissman takes us on a magical journey across continents and time, and I doubt there is a couple who won’t see themselves in the story of this marriage. The trail of rye bread crumbs (real and symbolic) led me to an emotional glimpse of the impact of love, war, and fear on our humanity and who we become.”—Liz Neumark, CEO and founder of Great Performances Catering and author of Sylvia’s Table
“I closed the last pages with tears in my eyes for the gift of these complex histories, this compelling love story—and a determination to find the best rye bread in town.”—Lauren Francis-Sharma, author of Book of the Little Axe