Steve Almond has been a candyfreak all his life, and he’s written the book to prove it. In Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America, Almond glories in the candies of his youth – he still mourns the Cavelle bar – reflects on the candy world today, and sets out on a tour of regional candies still made in America.
Almond’s writing dwells with delight on the descriptions of candy and candy-making and his love for the topic is unabashed. He paints such a picture of these regional treats that you want them to magically appear in front of you for eating. Almond has no problem sharing his opinion about candy, coconut or culture. The tone veers between hilarious and somber. At the four regional candy factories he tours, the people he meets all love what they do – making candy – but they are also, in varying ways, realistic about the candy market and what it takes to survive in the candy business of 2005 (when this book was published).
I love the funny parts. Some of them make me laugh out loud. But it’s also interesting to consider how the story of candy-makers reflects on the larger story of big, medium and small businesses. It is inevitable that the big get bigger until there’s no room for anyone else? What does it mean that where once the United States had hundreds of candy companies, and it now (or as of 2005) had far fewer? The story of local businesses and big nationwide (or international) businesses is a pertinent one, and one to consider when we think about what we want our world to be like.
Get a taste of Candyfreak today.
-Julie G., Summitview Library
