Love & Saffron

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay

Published:  February 8, 2022 – Putnam

Book courtesy of the publisher

My take:

Calling all fans of “food fiction” and epistolary novels! I definitely fit into those categories. When a young woman writes a fan letter to a columnist for a monthly ‘home & life’ magazine it is the beginning of a lovely friendship.

Joan is a new food writer living in Los Angeles and Imogen is a 60-ish writer living with her husband on an island off the coast of Seattle. They share parts of their lives, the food they love, and hopes and dreams. The food descriptions had me drooling and I loved that a few recipes were included.

A few notable events of the early 1960s are worked into the story and give a bit of heft to the setting. I appreciated that. What I loved most, though, was the friendship between two women from different generations. Just a lovely novel that I will recommend to friends this spring.

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Description:

When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter–as well as a gift of saffron–to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she’s never tasted fresh garlic–exotic fare in the Northwest of the sixties. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the unexpected in their own lives.
 
Food and a good life—they can’t be separated. It is a discovery the women share, not only with each other, but with the men in their lives. Because of her correspondence with Joan, Imogen’s decades-long marriage blossoms into something new and exciting, and in turn, Joan learns that true love does not always come in the form we expect it to. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of Joan and Imogen’s friendship—a test that summons their unconditional trust in each other.
 
A brief respite from our chaotic world, Love & Saffron is a gem of a novel, a reminder that food and friendship are the antidote to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating. (publisher)

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About the author:

Born in Seattle and raised throughout the Pacific Northwest, Kim Fay lived in Vietnam for four years and still travels to Southeast Asia frequently. A former bookseller, she is the author of Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam, winner of the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards’ Best Asian Cuisine Book in the United States, and The Map of Lost Memories, an Edgar Award finalist for Best First Novel. She is also the creator/editor of a series of guidebooks on Southeast Asia. Fay now lives in Los Angeles.

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Spotlight: When We Meet Again

Happy Release day to Caroline Beecham – I look forward to reading When We Meet Again!

All content provided by the publisher

WHEN WE MEET AGAIN • By Caroline Beecham • G. P. Putnam’s Sons • Trade Paperback Original • On Sale: July 20, 2021 • ISBN: 9780593331156 • Price: $17.00 • Also available in e-Book & audio

Description:

In London 1943, as war and dwindling resources have taken their toll on the book publishing industry, young book editor Alice Cotton has only just seen her star begin to rise when she unexpectedly falls pregnant. Facing the stigma of being an unwed mother, Alice leaves her beloved job at Partridge Press and flees to a small town to give birth to her child, Eadie, whom her family has promised to help raise. Instead, her mother sells the newborn to “baby farmers,” who plan to give Eadie up for a private adoption. Alice begins her desperate hunt to find the daughter she never planned for but suddenly deeply loves. Alice’s story intertwines with that of Theo Bloom, an American editor tasked with helping Partridge Press overcome the publishing obstacles of the war. Theo and Alice are quickly drawn to each other during their darkest hours, bound by hope, love, secrets, and the belief that books have the power to change lives. By turns heartbreaking and hopeful,WHEN WE MEET AGAIN is an aching and unforgettable exploration of the bonds that buoy us during our darkest hours. 

About the author:

Caroline Beecham is the author of four historical novels. She studied the craft of novel writing at the Faber Academy in Sydney, with Curtis Brown Creative in London, and has an MA in film and television and an MA in creative writing. She lives in Sydney with her husband and two teenage sons. When We Meet Again is the first of her novels to be published in the United States.

Behind the book:

Beecham has long been fascinated by the efforts of the publishing industry during the Second World War, which saw publishers struggling to satisfy readers on the war and home fronts in the face of increasing paper rations and meager resources. One of the most infamous initiatives was the Council on Books in Wartime, a coalition of booksellers, publishers, librarians, and authors that sought to use books to boost morale, share information, and remind people what they were fighting for. But the engine of the story truly came to Beecham when she uncovered a long-held family secret: that a relative’s baby was sold to a childless couple in a nearby town. Shocked as she was to learn this, she was even more surprised to find that this practice of “baby farming” was quite common for the time, especially amongst unmarried mothers who were desperate to find a way of taking care of their illegitimate children. A law to protect children from unlawful adoptions was even shelved due to the outbreak of World War II, during which the practice ran rife as a result. Taken together, these historical threads form the carefully woven fabric of WHEN WE MEET AGAIN, which is centrally about the transformative and ultimately inspiring role that books can play in our lives.

Praise for WHEN WE MEET AGAIN:

“A compelling story of a determined young woman and her quest for justice set against the fascinating world of publishing—and even a zoo—during World War II.” —Rhys Bowen, bestselling author of The Tuscan Child

“When We Meet Again is a poignant and absorbing novel about a young woman editor personally devastated by the historically true practice of “baby farming” during World War II-era London. Caroline Beecham’s emotional and beautifully written story is a testament to the enduring power of a mother’s love and to the power of books and stories themselves, in even our darkest times.” —Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of In Another Time and Half Life

“By turns heart-pounding and heart-tugging, When We Meet Again is a dramatic story of baby farming in WWII-era London. Following a mother searching for her stolen daughter, Caroline Beecham’s writing, rich with historical detail and filled to the brim with emotion, will pull readers in from the very first page.” —Molly Greeley, author of The Clergyman’s Wife and The Heiress

“An evocative and heart-warming story that reminds us of everything that is important.” —Belinda Alexandra, author of The Invitation and The Mysterious Woman

Spotlight: Those Who Are Saved

Those Who Are Saved by Alexis Landau

Published:  February 23, 2021 – Putnam

Content provided by the publicist

About:

In the summer of 1940, as the Nazis prepare to occupy France and force its foreign inhabitants into internment camps, wealthy Russian Jewish émigré Vera has just hours to make an impossible choice: does she subject her four-year-old daughter Lucie to the horrors of the camp, or does she send her into hiding with her trusted governess until safe to retrieve her? Believing the war will end soon, Vera chooses to leave Lucie in safety. She could not have known that she and her husband would have an opportunity to escape to America—or that Lucie and her governess will have fled to family in rural France, too far to reach in time. Five years later, with her marriage faltering and her writing stalled, Vera—safe under the surreal sun of California—is haunted by her love for Lucie and her faith that her daughter still lives. As her determination to return to France and find Lucie crystallizes, she meets Sasha, a man on his own search for meaning. Together, Vera and Sasha will journey to Lucy and find her fate. Undeniably powerful and gorgeously written, THOSE WHO ARE SAVED recounts a mother and daughter’s heartbreaking journey and separation, a war and a continent apart.

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About the author:

Alexis Landau is a graduate of Vassar College and received an MFA from Emerson College and a PhD in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Southern California. She is the author of The Empire of the Senses and lives with her husband and two children in Los Angeles.

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Advance praise for THOSE WHO ARE SAVED:

“Powerful. . . Landau brilliantly explores the blurred lines between good and evil as the characters wrestle with their own dire decisions and the choices of those they love. Once this magnetic book takes hold, it doesn’t let go.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

 

“With muted power, this book plumbs the role privilege plays in fate.”

—Kirkus Reviews

 

“Those Who Are Saved is a stunning tale of indestructible love, of sacrifice and faith, and of one woman’s fierce determination to find her lost daughter in an unrecognizable, war-ravaged France. Imbued with vivid, lush imagery and written with enormous sensitivity and heart, this gem of a novel has everything that I love in historical fiction, and it is one of the best I’ve read this year.  I treasured every page.”

—Roxanne Veletzos, bestselling author of The Girl They Left Behind

 

“Those Who Are Saved is a gorgeously written, emotional novel about the unshakable bonds of mothers and daughters, even in the darkest times. Spanning characters and continents during WWII, Alexis Landau’s vividly drawn book swept me up into the lives of Vera, Sasha, and Lucie. An unforgettable story of heartbreak, but ultimately of hope, resilience, and love – I could not put this book down!”

—Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of In Another Time and Half Life

 

“A profound and engaging story—Landau writes of the endurance of parental love in the face of Nazi occupation and terror, of finding those who were lost. I loved it.”

—Paulette Jiles, author of National Book Award finalist News of the World

 

“With poetic, mesmerizing prose, Alexis Landau creates a heartrending story of the unbreakable bond of maternal love. Those Who Are Saved brings to life a moment in history when all that is familiar disappears and every choice is potentially tragic. This gripping and compassionate novel continues to haunt me.”

—Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire, recipient of the National Jewish Book Award

 

“Such subtle and skilful writing, so evocative of the Second World War and the period following. We are drawn deep into the story of a mother who, escaping to America, had no choice but to leave her daughter behind in the heart of Nazi-occupied France. Absolutely haunting.”

—Frances Liardet, New York Times bestselling author of We Must Be Brave

 

“Those Who Are Saved is an achingly beautiful epoch about love’s endurance. I was hooked from the start by the chance meeting of Sasha and Vera who are driven by creative energies to remake their fractured worlds. This tense journey encompasses exile from Eastern to Western Europe, then across the ocean to the glittering promise of Hollywood, only to be haunted by whispers of what was left behind. Alexis Landau is an amazing storyteller and her novel will whisper to you long after you finish.”

—Devin Murphy, author of The Boat Runner

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THOSE WHO ARE SAVED · By Alexis Landau · G. P. Putnam’s Sons

· On Sale: February 23, 2021 · ISBN: 9780593190531 

· Price: $27.00 ·

Also available in e-Book & audio

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Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

G.P. Putnam’s Sons (May 15, 2018)

Review copy provided by Putnam

Description:

Ellis and Michael are twelve-year-old boys when they first become friends, and for a long time it is just the two of them, cycling the streets of Oxford, teaching themselves how to swim, discovering poetry, and dodging the fists of overbearing fathers. And then one day this closest of friendships grows into something more.

But then we fast-forward a decade or so, to find that Ellis is married to Annie, and Michael is nowhere in sight. Which leads to the question: What happened in the years between?

With beautiful prose and characters that are so real they jump off the page, Tin Man is a love letter to human kindness and friendship, and to loss and living. (publisher)

My take: Tin Man is a slim novel (224 pages) that made me overflow with emotions (yes, it really did) as I read the story of Ellis, Michael and Annie. It is about loss, betrayal, unconditional acceptance and, ultimately, love – in many forms.  It was sad and lovely and filled with lush (yet spare) descriptions that easily pulled me into each scene. From now on I’ll think of Tin Man when I see Vincent van Gogh’s sunflower paintings. Read the publisher’s description – if it sounds like a book you might like to try I think you should. I’m so glad I did. Book groups would find it a good discussion book. Many thanks to Putnam for sending a review copy.

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Praise for TIN MAN:

“A beautiful book—pared back and unsentimental, assured, full of warmth, and told with a kind of tenderness that makes you ache.” —Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

“This is an astoundingly beautiful book. It drips with tenderness. It breaks your heart and warms it all at once.” —Matt Haig, author of How to Stop Time

“Such an exquisite package of literary merit.”—Annie Philbrick of Bank Square Books

“Winman is a master storyteller…”—Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore

“…one of the most loving stories of our time.”—Luisa Smith of Book Passage

“Subtle, piercing, achingly beautiful…”—Marion Abbott of Mrs. Dalloways

“Tin Man is a perfect read.” —Alison Reid of Diesel, A Bookstore

“A beautiful little book…”—Kurestin Armada of Little City Books

“It’s just perfect in every way.”—Maria Roden of Orinda Books

“I didn’t cry, but I ached.” —Todd Miller of Arcadia Books

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About the author:

Sarah Winman is the author of two novels, When God Was a Rabbit and A Year of Marvelous Ways. She attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to act in theatre, film, and television. Sarah grew up in Essex and now lives in London.

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The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon

• Title:  The Confusion of Languages
• Author:  Siobhan Fallon
• Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
• Pages:  336
• Published:  June 2017 – Putnam
• Source:  Publisher

Description:  Both Cassie Hugo and Margaret Brickshaw dutifully followed their soldier husbands to the U.S. embassy in Jordan, but that’s about all the women have in common. After two years, Cassie’s become an expert on the rules, but newly arrived Margaret sees only her chance to explore. So when a fender-bender sends Margaret to the local police station, Cassie reluctantly agrees to watch Margaret’s toddler son. But as the hours pass, Cassie’s boredom and frustration turn to fear: Why isn’t Margaret answering her phone, and why is it taking so long to sort out a routine accident? Snooping around Margaret’s apartment, Cassie begins to question not only her friend’s whereabouts but also her own role in Margaret’s disappearance.
 
Written with emotional insight and stunning prose, The Confusion of Languages is a shattering portrait of a collision between two women and two worlds, as well as a poignant glimpse into the private lives of American military families living overseas. (publisher)

My take:  Two women whose husbands are stationed in Jordan are thrown together when Cassie, who has lived there a while, is volunteered by her husband to show newly arrived Margaret around. Cassie resents her husband for that and a host of other things. Most of all she’s angry about their infertility and now she has to spend a lot of time with Margaret and her toddler son. Margaret has issues of her own – not the least being the guilt she feels about a few things she’s done. I’ve known people like both women. Some of them are friends I adore. I have to say I’d want Cassie in my corner when the chips were down. But there were things I liked about Margaret that Cassie addresses in the epilogue.

This was a wonderful character study of two interesting and flawed women. Fallon drew me in with the interactions of the women and then expanded to their husbands and a few other characters. I couldn’t wait to get back to this novel each day just to see where it would lead. I loved the expat aspect – living in a country where you stand out by what you wear, how you interact with locals, etc. It all mattered. When cultures with glaring differences are thrown together there’s great opportunity for confusion on both sides. Margaret wasn’t always open to what Cassie tried to teach her about the culture of Jordan. To say the least! I also loved when Cassie and Margaret ventured out to various tourist sites. I could visualize the different places and have added them to my travel bucket list. I really enjoyed The Confusion of Languages and look forward to what Siobhan Fallon writes next.

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The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

• Title:  The Husband’s Secret
• Author:  Liane Moriarty
• Genre:  Fiction
• Published:  July 2013 – Amy Einhorn Books; Putnam
• Source:  Publisher

Synopsis:  Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.  (publisher) 

My take:  Three women, really no more than acquaintances, find out how very connected their lives really are.

I enjoyed The Husband’s Secret. It’s not a whodunit because the reader finds out way before the end of the novel. I think it’s more a whatwouldyoudo. That makes it a perfect choice for book groups. It also asks how far would you go to protect a loved one?

One minute it is dramatic and the next, quite funny. Liane Moriarty is a gifted storyteller. I loved her previous novel What Alice Forgot and I look forward to reading more of her novels. Recommended.

Note:  I also purchased the audiobook – narrated by Caroline Lee. If you enjoy listening to books I recommend this audio.

The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister

• Title:  The Lost Art of Mixing
• Author:  Erica Bauermeister
• Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
• Published:  January 2013 – Putnam
• Source:  I received a review copy from the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewer program

Synopsis (publisher): Lillian and her restaurant have a way of drawing people together. There’s Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers and ritual; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn’t learned to trust after heartbreak; Finnegan, quiet and steady as a tree, who can disappear into the background despite his massive height; Louise, Al’s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp. And there’s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn’t expect. . . .
Their lives collide and mix with those around them, sometimes joining in effortless connections, at other times sifting together and separating again, creating a family that is chosen, not given. A beautifully imagined novel about the ties that bind—and links that break—The Lost Art of Mixing is a captivating meditation on the power of love, food, and companionship.

My take:  If you enjoyed The School of Essential Ingredients you’ll want to read The Lost Art of Mixing. Erica Bauermeister delves into the lives of characters from the first book.  We get to see sides of each that even the other characters never see.

This novel is a connected string of intriguing stories that explain the characters we thought we knew. Just as a recipe is the sum of its ingredients so are the characters a sum of their life experiences. Each strives to find connection to those they love but must rely on being accepted for themselves. To do that, they must accept others as they are. The mix will work or it won’t but, in the end, they’ll know if they should stay or move on – be part of this recipe for the life they want or find another that will work.

I really liked The Lost Art of Mixing. Humor and drama mixed evenly to become a novel that left me satisfied. I’d love to see where life takes these characters but even if this is where Erica Bauermeister leaves them I can’t wait to see what she writes next.