Indies Introduce

Non-Fiction

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  Jell-O Girls, Allie Rowbottom
  Little, Brown and Company, 9780316510615, July 24, 2018 (Non-Fiction)
  

  “In part the history of an iconic dessert food, Jell-O Girls might be expected to be bland, like the official history of America, suburbia, and mid-20th century culture, but it is anything but. This story of a dessert and of a family is dark and deeply personal. Advertising pushed a narrative of domesticity, normalcy, and conformity—but the truth was something completely different.”

   

  Michael Herrmann, Gibson’s Bookstore (Concord, NH)
  
  

  “Allie Rowbottom’s account of the first century (and then some) of Jell-O brand gelatin’s history hits all the nonfiction sweet spots for me, as it weaves her personal family history, the local impact on the residents of Le Roy, New York, and the marketing permutations America’s Favorite Dessert has undergone to reflect cultural tide changes. Like a metaphorical marshmallow-and-carrot molded dessert, Jell-O Girls contains bits of class and gender reflections and questions the toxicity of the reputed family curse.”

   

  Maryelizabeth Yturralde, Mysterious Galaxy (San Diego, CA)