Lester said the fifth grade students selected their own questions for the people they interviewed, and that process produced a mix of insightful, charming and, in some cases, touching stories. Some of them brought tears to our eyes. She stressed that the cookbook is not just an academic historical exercise about a building. It is a reminisce, an attempt to recreate the bond felt by many people who have moved through that building as they worked or studied at Edith Bowen. We hear it again and again.
People remember the 'place,' yes, but they also remember the family-like bonds they developed.
She said the school hopes the book will become a family keepsake and a frequently consulted treasure both for its delicious recipes and its stories about the lab school. The oral history portion of the cookbook is partially funded by a grant from the Utah Humanities Council.