SKU: 39946922616

Notes on a Banana: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Manic Depression

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Notes on a Banana: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Manic DepressionA FINALIST FOR THE NEW ENGLAND BOOK AWARD FOR NON FICTION A PASTE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR ONE OF TIMEOUT NEW YORK'S BEST SUMMER BEACH READS OF 2017 ONE OF REAL SIMPLE'S 25 FATHER'S DAY BOOKS THAT COVER ALL OF DAD'S INTERESTS The stunning and long awaited memoir from the beloved founder of the James Beard Award winning website Leite's Culinaria a candid, courageous, and at times laugh out loud funny story of family, food, mental illness, and sexual

A FINALIST FOR THE NEW ENGLAND BOOK AWARD FOR NON FICTION

A PASTE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

ONE OF TIMEOUT NEW YORK'S BEST SUMMER BEACH READS OF 2017

ONE OF REAL SIMPLE'S 25 FATHER'S DAY BOOKS THAT COVER ALL OF DAD'S INTERESTS

The stunning and long-awaited memoir from the beloved founder of the James Beard Award-winning website Leite's Culinaria--a candid, courageous, and at times laugh-out-loud funny story of family, food, mental illness, and sexual identity.

Born into a family of Azorean immigrants, David Leite grew up in the 1960s in a devoutly Catholic, blue-collar, food-crazed Portuguese home in Fall River, Massachusetts. A clever and determined dreamer with a vivid imagination and a flair for the dramatic, "Banana" as his mother endearingly called him, yearned to live in a middle-class house with a swinging kitchen door just like the ones on television, and fell in love with everything French, thanks to his Portuguese and French-Canadian godmother. But David also struggled with the emotional devastation of manic depression. Until he was diagnosed in his mid-thirties, David found relief from his wild mood swings in learning about food, watching Julia Child, and cooking for others.

Notes on a Banana is his heartfelt, unflinchingly honest, yet tender memoir of growing up, accepting himself, and turning his love of food into an award-winning career. Reminiscing about the people and events that shaped him, David looks back at the highs and lows of his life: from his rejection of being gay and his attempt to "turn straight" through Aesthetic Realism, a cult in downtown Manhattan, to becoming a writer, cookbook author, and web publisher, to his twenty-four-year relationship with Alan, known to millions of David's readers as "The One," which began with (what else?) food. Throughout the journey, David returns to his stoves and tables, and those of his family, as a way of grounding himself.

A blend of Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind, the food memoirs by Ruth Reichl, Anthony Bourdain, and Gabrielle Hamilton, and the character-rich storytelling of Augusten Burroughs, David Sedaris, and Jenny Lawson, Notes on a Banana is a feast that dazzles, delights, and, ultimately, heals.

--No Real Simple, 25 Father's Day Books That Cover All of Dad's Interests Real Simple, 25 Father's Day Books That Cover All of Dad's Interests

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Dey Street Books
Published: 01/16/2018
ISBN: 9780062414380
Pages: 384
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.30w x 1.10d
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SKU: 39946922616

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Georgia
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 4
Very good for aggressive chewers
Color: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow
Finally found ball that my aggressive chewer doesn't destroy. Has loud squeaker however he broke after 4 days. Probably better, noise gone. Very sturdy and he loves. Also big so doesn't roll under furniture.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2025
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Samantha Anthony
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Durable
Color: Purple
I bought this for my 80lb 1yr American Bully male,who has made it his mission to test all the toys his dad and I have bought. Now I have 3 other American Bullies, siblings 3yr old 2 females/1male, who did the same at that age and I mastered toy shopping or so I thought. Lol. My new pup loves balls and this is the only one he firstly can't fit completely in his mouth and can't tear it apart. He has tired!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026
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TIFF
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
My Dogs Loved Them!
Color: Purple
My dogs loved these for playing fetch. They seem heavier duty than previous ones I have had. Beware of the incoming constant squeak sounds if your pup gets really into chewing it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2026
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Kingfam
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Shockingly, good ball!
Color: Purple, Color: Purple
I have a Doberman. She is a ball and toy destroyer. She is the most obsessive retriever I’ve ever had. Her retrieving urge, and indefatigability, puts my golden retriever to shame. Because of this, we throw the ball all the time. She is primarily an indoor dog and we have to exhaust her energy and so throwing the ball is how this is done. I got these balls in an effort to try to find something that would last longer than a few days. I have now had these 2 balls for six weeks. They are both still alive! It literally blows my mind. When I bought them, we took bets on how long they would last. I gave it a week. I lost my bet. I got the extra large size. It’s perfect for the giant jaw span of a full grown Doberman. It squeaks, which is irritating to us, but what she loves. She can lay there and chew on it and still not destroy it. They’re very heavy ball and bounce, so you have to be careful throwing it in the house cause you could hurt breakables. Whoever said that these feel like they came from the dollar tree must have been talking about something else. They are thick and sturdy balls. UPDATE: it has now been THREE MONTHS and our Doberman STILL has not destroyed these 2 balls. We play with them many times each day. WORTH EVERY PENNY ADDITIONAL UPDATE: it’s now been nine months. Took this photo this morning. We still have the balls and have since ordered two more. She chews on it multiple times every day. There’s a little hole in it now and it doesn’t squeak anymore but it’s 98% intact and still essentially indestructible. These balls are worth gold.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2023
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Bill_in_Louisiana
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 3
The dog loves 'em
Color: Blue
The dog loves the balls, and they're the right size for my German Shepherd. Lost a couple of starts because they're not very durable, the "teeth" are easily broken off, so I am frequently finding "lost teeth" across the house; the squeakers also cannot hold up to my dog's aggressive chewing. I would still buy them again, as like I said, my dog love 'em!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2026

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