The recipe box A novel with recipes

Viola Shipman

Book - 2018

Growing up in northern Michigan, Samantha "Sam" Mullins felt trapped on her family's orchard and pie shop, so she left with dreams of making her own mark in the world. But life as an overworked, undervalued sous chef at a reality star's New York bakery is not what Sam dreamed. When the chef embarrasses Sam, she quits and returns home. Unemployed, single, and defeated, she spends a summer working on her family's orchard cooking and baking alongside the women in her life--including her mother, Deana, and grandmother, Willo. One beloved, flour-flecked, ink-smeared recipe at a time, Sam begins to learn about and understand the women in her life, her family's history, and her passion for food through their treasured... recipe box. As Sam discovers what matters most she opens her heart to a man she left behind, but who now might be the key to her happiness.--from Publishers description.

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Subjects
Genres
Domestic fiction
Published
New York : Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press 2018.
Language
English
Main Author
Viola Shipman (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
324 pages ; 25 cm
ISBN
9781250146779
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Shipman (The Hope Chest, 2017) returns to her tried-and-true formula for her latest, which centers on Sam Nelson, a young pastry chef who left her small-town home to pursue her dreams in New York City. While she has great friends and a casual flirtation with the produce-delivery man, her celebrity-chef boss is a nightmare. When he insults the family recipe slab pie that she bakes for a morning-talk-show appearance, it's the last straw. Sam heads home to her family's northern-Michigan orchard, where plans are afoot for both her grandmother's seventy-fifth birthday and the orchard's centennial. With the support of her grandmother, Willo, and her mother, Deana, who share their stories, recipes, and unconditional love, Sam starts to figure out where her life is headed. Each section of the book focuses on a baked treat, which appears as both a plot point and a recipe, and stories from earlier generations of the Mullins Family Orchard women are interspersed throughout, adding different perspectives to the narrative. This heartwarming story of family and food will appeal to fans of gentle, intergenerational women's fiction.--Donohue, Nanette Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review

Recent culinary school graduate Sam knows she should feel fortunate to be working in one of the trendiest bakeries in New York. Cooking for a volatile reality-star chef who knows nothing about baking the goods he sells pushes Sam to the limit. Quitting and escaping to her family's orchard and bakery in northern Michigan, Sam returns to evaluate her life. For generations the women of her family have kept the orchard thriving, adapting to overcome financial challenges and weather disasters. Now Sam must overcome her own personal challenges and take guidance from her family. Learning more of each relative's journey through stories recalled in precious family recipes, she begins to overcome her fears and decide which direction her life will take. VERDICT Shipman's (The Charm Bracelet; The Hope Chest) multigenerational creation skillfully layers the triumphs and struggles of each family member with recurring adages proven true no matter the era. She presents a thoroughly enchanting story of strength and resilience that love provides in families. Numerous recipes and delicious descriptions will further entice readers to try their hand at baking. [See Prepub Alert, 10/9/17.]-Joy Gunn, Paseo Verde Lib., Henderson, NV © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.