Ruth Reichl is a born storyteller. Through her restaurant reviews, where she celebrated the pleasures of a well-made meal, and her bestselling memoirs that address our universal feelings of love and loss, Reichl has achieved a special place in the hearts of hundreds of thousands of readers. Now, with this magical debut novel, she has created a sumptuous, wholly realized world that will enchant … you.
Billie Breslin has traveled far from her home in California to take a job at Delicious!, New York’s most iconic food magazine. Away from her family, particularly her older sister, Genie, Billie feels like a fish out of water—until she is welcomed by the magazine’s colorful staff. She is also seduced by the vibrant downtown food scene, especially by Fontanari’s, the famous Italian food shop where she works on weekends. Then Delicious! is abruptly shut down, but Billie agrees to stay on in the empty office, maintaining the hotline for reader complaints in order to pay her bills.
To Billie’s surprise, the lonely job becomes the portal to a miraculous discovery. In a hidden room in the magazine’s library, Billie finds a cache of letters written during World War II by Lulu Swan, a plucky twelve-year-old, to the legendary chef James Beard. Lulu’s letters provide Billie with a richer understanding of history, and a feeling of deep connection to the young writer whose courage in the face of hardship inspires Billie to comes to terms with her fears, her big sister and her ability to open her heart to love.
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Great fiction by a former wonderful restaurant reviewer.
This was a really good read. Gifted a copy to my sibling.
What a disappointment. While a very accomplished cookbook author, she is not a novelist. It’s a totally predictable story written in trite, hackneyed language. What a poorly executed waste of a clever idea.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are delightful and I loved hanging out with them!
I found this an interesting and fun take on world of publishing and chefs. With a little bit of a savenger hunt and mystery thrown in. Fun read , good developed characters. And a true flavor of the neighborhood s of New York City.
Good summer read
Definitely one of the best books I have read
Another great memoir from Ruth Reichl — this one deals with her time as the head food critic for the New York Times. Party family drama, part newspaper politics, recipes scattered throughout the book. She’s such an engaging writer – I’ve loved all of her books.
I like food and learning about new ways to cook plus the story is very good.
The storyline was unique and interesting. The characters were well developed and very realistic and fun to get to know.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Some of it was a little predictable but it was still a good read. I’d choose more from this author.
This is a great foodie book. Loved the descriptions, the menus, the characters. Not a fancy book, but a great one.
This book was absolutely delicious
I enjoy reading Ruth Reichl’s books.
I enjoyed this book and think anyone interested in art and antiques would like it, too. One warning, however: it can be a little TOO detail oriented at times.
Loved this book! Good plot, different from others I’ve read. Lots os info about food, which was fun, too.
I enjoyed the intrigue of the letters.
** Excellent engaging writing. Thoughtful storyline. Loved it!
I loved every page of this unusual story line with engaging characters, fascinating settings and unpredictable progression.
The characters were likable, the food descriptions mouthwatering and the story moved along in a pleasant way. The key to much of it was a particularly delicious ginger cake and, fortunately, the recipe was included in the back. (I haven’t made it yet, but intend to.) I read enough books that they are forgotten very quickly unless inspiring strong emotion or reminding me of my own life experiences. This book does neither, but it does stand out from the usual mystery/recipe genre by having no crime and an actual plot.