- Imprint: Vintage
- ISBN: 9781529967098
- Length: 288 pages
- Price: £12.99
Chopping Onions on My Heart
On Losing and Preserving Culture
Keith Kahn-Harris, GuardianEllis’s book is a useful reminder that Jewish generational trauma is not confined to the descendants of those who survived the Holocaust. In fact, given the ubiquity of refugees in the modern world, Chopping Onions on My Heart’s aching sense of loss has a truly global resonance
Stephanie Merritt, ObserverAn optimistic and often wryly funny book... a gift to the future, rich with insights about the nature of belonging that are not limited to one community but matter to all of us
CLAUDIA RODENI am amazed at the breadth and range of Samantha Ellis’s knowledge and insights, and love the endearing and humorous way she shares information that is tragic and frightening as well as heart-warming and full of hope
Norma Clarke, Literary ReviewAn engaging mix of harrowing history, earnest reflection, recipes, common sense, love, humour and life
Maia Zelkha, Yad MizrahAs an Iraqi Jew, reading Chopping Onions on My Heart felt like being seen: the entire book felt like a fierce, honest, and profoundly comforting hug
RUKMINI IYER, author of The Roasting TinEasily my non-fiction book of the year
ELLA RISBRIDGER, author of Midnight ChickenI loved this book so much. It's a heart-opener and an eye-opener, an invitation to understand our world better. Think: The Body Keeps the Score in practice not theory
ANNE SEBBA, author of The Women's Orchestra of AuschwitzA profound meditation on loss and the importance of language as a means of remembering... Thoroughly recommended
CARIAD LLOYD, author of You Are Not AloneA beautiful tale of painful cultural loss, delicious food, rich history; and the bittersweet grief that only the perfect recipe can solve. A truly enlightening book that will leave you hungry yet satisfied
VIV GROSKOP, author of How to Own the RoomA wonderfully immersive and sensitive meditation on belonging and identity
About Samantha Ellis
The daughter of Iraqi-Jewish refugees, Samantha Ellis is the author of the books How to be a Heroine and Take Courage and her plays include How to Date a Feminist, Cling to me Like Ivy and Operation Magic Carpet. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian, TLS, Spectator, Literary Review and more. She worked on the first two Paddington films. She lives in London.
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All editions
- Hardback 2025
- Paperback 2026
- Ebook 2025
- Audio Download 2025
