America Eats! was one of the many WPA projects created to put people to work during the Great Depression era. In brief, the idea was to go out and document not just Americans' foods, but also the social gatherings, cultural mores, and events that defined American food. The project was broken down into regional segments, and writers were assigned to write up the various parts. Some of these writers went on to become famous; others just went back to their regular jobs when the project was shut down (Congress refused to continue its funding, thus cutting it off. Imagine if Congress had actually funded it and allowed it to be completed, the national treasure we would have now). Some fragments of the manuscript survive in the Library of Congress; many are likely still locked up in local and state archives, many even undiscovered. The author found parts of the document, and along with those parts, set out to see if she could find many of these places and food gatherings. From chuck wagon meals to funeral meals to fish fries, she spent a year on the road to see what real American homemade cooking was, and more importantly, the social events and gatherings that were the main reason for the meals. Whether it was a fundraiser or a lodge social event, what she found was a diverse culinary experience of people coming together. And sadly, it is an experience that may be facing extinction in our modern times. The book alternates between the author's narrative and fragments from the WPA writings, making for a very interesting picture of the United States from coast to coast. The WPA writings include customs, descriptions of events, and some recipes. In some cases, the author included recipes that are close to an original in order to give readers a sense of the real thing. The book does have some amusing moments, but it also has some moving moments along with some serious commentary on contemporary American society along the way. Personally, I cannot help but wonder what would happen if, by some great miracle, a new national works project was formed, and a new generation of writers went out to document the American food gathering experience today? What, if anything, would they find? The book does have some small passages that go a bit too long, slowing down the reading experience. It is the only reason I gave it four stars. However, this is a book worth reading. It is a book you may want to read in small bits, savor parts of it even. And it is a book that may make you want to go out and find a local church supper, or a fish fry, or maybe, just maybe, a pie social.
