Thanks for the love, Shelf Awareness. Fictional Stories, Real Food
There has been a growing trend over the past few years to write novels and memoirs that include recipes, although now it’s no longer a trend, it’s a genre. Obviously, some books are more successful than other with this; really, how many recipes for chocolate chip cookies can the market bear? But when it works, it’s very good. I still make the banana bread recipe (to great acclaim) from Molly Wizenberg’s wonderful memoir, A Homemade Life. Check it out.
Recent months have seen many entries in the book-with-recipes category. Susan Wiggs’s latest novel, The Apple Orchard, about a California apple orchard, an unwilling half-heiress to same, and the pleasures of food and family, is a captivating and charming story. So are the recipes, like lavender scones, and apple chutney. She says, “It’s always lovely to come across a recipe that’s good enough to share. My criteria for including a recipe in a book is that it needs to work thematically with the novel, it has to be delicious and it has to be reasonably easy to prepare. I like to picture my readers having their book club over and preparing something from one of my novels.”
8 Responses
Just finished The Apple Orchard. Awestruck! My husband’s middle name was Magnus–My greatgranddaughter’s name is Tess–She met her older sister Mary Catherine who had been given up for adoption when MC was born. I think the similarities to your book ended there except to say I am 85 years old and felt somehow you must have known something about my family. Three grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren live in Oregon and Washington and I plan to visit them next month.
P.S. I also had a lavaliere(pearl) which was stolen from my home in a robbery years ago.
Myrna, thank you so much for this note. I’m thrilled that you liked it and could relate some real life situations to the novel. I’m working on the sequel now.
Just finished The Apple Orchard. Awestruck! My husband’s middle name was Magnus–My greatgranddaughter’s name is Tess–She met her older sister Mary Catherine who had been given up for adoption when MC was born. I think the similarities to your book ended there except to say I am 85 years old and felt somehow you must have known something about my family. Three grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren live in Oregon and Washington and I plan to visit them next month.
P.S. I also had a lavaliere(pearl) which was stolen from my home in a robbery years ago.
Myrna, thank you so much for this note. I’m thrilled that you liked it and could relate some real life situations to the novel. I’m working on the sequel now.
Hi Susan,
Just a thank you for a wonderful read in The Apple Orchard. I have read all of your books. I request them from my library and then lots of people can enjoy them. Can’t wait for your next. Have a nice summer.
Sandra from Ephrata, WA
Thank you so much for the nicest comment of the day! I appreciate the extra effort of ordering from the library. I like the way you think!
Hi Susan,
Just a thank you for a wonderful read in The Apple Orchard. I have read all of your books. I request them from my library and then lots of people can enjoy them. Can’t wait for your next. Have a nice summer.
Sandra from Ephrata, WA
Thank you so much for the nicest comment of the day! I appreciate the extra effort of ordering from the library. I like the way you think!