Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

In her senior year, Reichl developed a friendship with a young woman from her art history class named Pat. Reichl admired Pat’s eccentric sense of style, describing her as “the most flamboyant creature I had ever encountered” (150). Partway through the year, Reichl moved into Pat’s apartment. Pat was very nice to her, but Reichl was miserable about the dissolution of her friendships with Serafina and Mac. Reichl was surprised and delighted when, out of the blue, Serafina called to ask her if she wanted to go on a trip to North Africa. Serafina’s plan was to stay with their friend Mohammad’s family in Meknes, Morocco. His mother had offered to teach her and Reichl to make bisteeya; Reichl includes a recipe for this dish.

The two women flew to Naples, Italy, and crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Tunis, in Tunisia. They immediately felt lost and overwhelmed. They met two men their age who directed them to a safe hotel and then took them out for tea. Both women were keenly aware of the risk they were taking by going anywhere with strangers, but they were also excited at the adventure and unsure how to proceed on their own.