First published 2015
Lars Thorvald starts with puréed pork shoulder when his wife Cynthia abandons him and baby Eva for wine and another man. He raises Eva alone in Minnesota, teaching her to find comfort in food. Eva grows up tasting everything from Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros. Each dish shapes her journey toward becoming a star chef. She eventually runs a legendary pop-up supper club that operates in secret. The story unfolds through individual chapters, each focused on a single dish and character connected to Eva's life. Her path leads to an elaborate final feast that reflects her strength and determination. Food becomes the thread connecting Eva to her community and identity in the Midwest during the rise of foodie culture.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, food-writing, culinary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, single-parent
Setting: Minnesota, Midwest
Period: 21st-century
310 pages · Hardcover · Pamela Dorman Books/Viking