Book Review: “Milk Fed” by Melissa Broder
TW: eating disorder
Not sure where or when I got recommended this book, but before I went to Nigeria, I requested a ton of books from the library and this was one of the two physical books I was able to get my hands on before I left! This novel is about a 24-year-old non-practicing Jewish woman named Rachel who works at a talent agency in LA and deeply struggles with anorexia. While she desperately wants control over her body and exercises it through calorie restriction and a very precise diet, she struggles with control in other areas of her life including her relationship with her mother and her unhappiness with her job. After following advice from her therapist to take a communication detox with her mother, Rachel soon meets Miriam, a young Orthodox Jewish woman who works at Rachel’s favorite frozen yogurt shop. Their initial encounter soon leads to friendship and the exploration of something more. Rachel goes on a journey unintentionally rewriting the narrative she has with her body through Miriam’s love for food, a Rabbi that visits her in her dreams and fantasies about her “work mother” that helps her uncover the truth of what she really wants from her life.
Similarly to I’m a Fan, the pacing of this book is short chapters, sometimes mini essays, so I breezed through it pretty quickly. I was initially totally hooked on the wit and humor of the writing. However, somewhere towards the middle-end, I realized I was speeding through the book because it was an easy read and no longer because I was enthralled. As someone who has never struggled with an eating disorder, the casual style of writing felt like an anthropological view into Rachel’s mind which I enjoyed, even though being in her mind felt exhausting at points (which I’m sure was intentional on the author’s end). The eating disorder truly shapes her worldview, more so than her identity as a non-practicing Jew or aspiring comedian. She’s another self-loathing, avoidant-attachment main character, but unlike in I’m a Fan, I found myself less invested in Rachel. The flash forward at the end of the novel didn’t really feel necessary to me and the ending overall felt a bit lackluster. While relatively entertaining, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book. However, if you’re looking for a quick lesbian, horny beach read, then perhaps this is the book for you. Also, if a food motif was always going to be the title, I think “Cream cheese and sugar” would’ve been more fitting.
