Sometimes we dismiss the integral role food plays in our identities and the kitchen’s indispensability to meanings of family and affection. Slow Noodles balances heartache and gratitude seamlessly, and how Nguon accomplishes such a feat is beyond me. What she survived as a result of the barbaric reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge is remarkable as is what she’s created here. Slow Noodles is more than just a memoir of a Cambodian refugee. It’s a love letter to her family, her people, and, rightfully, herself.