We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time
Written and Narrated By: José Andrés / Foreword By: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Luis A. Miranda Jr.
Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
Ignore the occasional rant, and bask in the glory of people treating each other with dignity and loving kindness
Let’s just get something out of the way about We Fed an Island by José Andrés; I found it completely and unutterably charming. Other listeners? Uhm, not so much. As a matter of fact, a couple of reviewers said that the book might’ve been awesome, but they wouldn't know as... They quite simply could not get past the dear man’s accent.
Okay so, like, it kinda sorta is indeed incredibly thick. But I found it endearing to hear the word managers come out as manayers. And hurricane (Which comes up quite a bit as this is the story of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria hit) becomes the delightful hoooriken. The good thing is that the story is LOADED with the language and slang and people of Puerto Rico, and ain’t nothing that makes you feel like you’re sitting right in the middle of things, sweating your brains out in the September/October heat, like a man who knows what he’s talking about and who talks about everything like he’s One of the People... La Gente!!!!
Andrés was overwhelmed by what he saw of Maria’s destruction, what he saw of suffering people still dazed and lacking in all of the very basic necessities, and he decided to go to Puerto Rico to make a difference: One hot meal at a time. He thought he’d really push for 10,000 meals a day for five days, and he’d be out of there. He’d work his patoot off, give it his all, do what he could, and then See Ya, God be with Ya!
Well, not quiiiite. This I know from my days/months after Katrina: You sign up, show up, and really see what needs to be done? Then, my friend, nobody with an ounce of decency can note then not do something. And Andrés does what he set out to do, sure, but how can he stop there? NObody is seeing that needs are being met, entire communities haven’t been visited even once, and gosh dang it: The man has insight, ingenuity, and SKILLS! They’ve gotta be used before he can even think of leaving. What a wonderful journey in this absolutely uplifting story.
He and his group did what Trump didn’t do, what FEMA didn’t do, what the Red Cross didn’t do. While being invited to meetings of the minds to see if he could float some ideas, tell what his experiences have been, ask for support and funds to expand operations, he’s disgusted because at the end of verrrrry long meetings, all break up into smaller verrrry long meetings with individuals adamantly pointing out: Okay, but this is a SUB Task Force...
This is probably the weakest part of the book, as Andrés is disbelieving and, at times, pretty danged irate about all the larger organizations’s lack of willingness to listen to suggestions. And take advice? Not in your dreeeeams! So you’ll hear plenty of near-diatribes about FEMA being incredibly dear, but hey! at least they provided sooome financial assistance (Tho’ they took credit for all that Andrés and his cooks and volunteers did), but the Red Cross comes out stinking to high heaven. Turns out that they didn’t use all the funds they collected from donations, choosing to give themselves a huuuuuge percentage of the monies to pad operating costs.
Plus, Andrés is mighty peeved with how Trump golfed until he only HAD to start addressing the devastation; how he said he was doing a rated - 10 out of 10 job; how he reacted poorly, took it as being attacked, when people on the ground begged for more assistance and made critical comments. Andrés, in other words, tells us how he did a bit of Trump Trollin’ in his free time, and if that’s the kinda thing that’ll tick ya off, might I suggest that you skip out on this book.
Fortunately, the book is much more than that, but I did indeed tune out when he went in-depth about organizational/bureaucratic failures, especially as they kept on happening--that got kinda old, and my head started to get all achy. But if you stick with it, or get past those bits, you’ll find plenty of stop-and-cheer moments such as when they realize that they can swap cooked meals, much appreciated, for gasoline that’ll get them into communities farther away or off the beaten path. And that the man was able to beg a civil engineers map (Seeeveeel Enyeneeeers!), look at it, and see the possibilities? Huzzah! (As in: Look at all those schools not being used... all having kitchens within that can be used!)
The book ends with a visit back to the island for a truly splendid Thanksgiving dinner where all are served, all are thanked most heartily, Puerto Rico is cherished.
A prayer for Thanksgiving makes this a book that set my mind in a better frame. It’ll inspire you to do something this season, to look at need and provide some assistance perhaps.
Bare minimum? Holy CRUD will you be grateful for wonderful things like running water, electricity. And when you think that Andrés and his crew wound up cooking and serving three million dinners? You’ll be grateful that there are people like that sharing this earth with us!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.