THE RECIPE CLUB: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE RECIPE CLUB:
A Tale of Food and Friendship
by ANDREA ISRAEL & NANCY GARFINKEL

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Lilly and Val are lifelong friends, united as much by their differences as by their similarities. Lilly, dramatic and confident, lives in the shadow of her beautiful, wayward mother and craves the attention of her distant, disapproving father. Val, shy and idealistic -- and surprisingly ambitious -- struggles with her desire to break free from her demanding housebound mother and a father whose dreams never seem to come true.

In childhood, "LillyPad" and "Valpal" vow to form an exclusive two-person club. Throughout the decades they write intimate letters in which they share hopes, fears, deepest secrets -- and recipes, from Lilly's "Lovelorn Lasagna" to Valerie's "Forgiveness Tapenade." Readers can cook along as the girls travel through time, facing the challenges of independence; the joys and heartbreaks of first love; and the emotional complexities of family relationships, identity, mortality, and goals deferred.

But no matter what different paths they take or what misunderstandings threaten to break them apart, Lilly and Val always find their way back together through their Recipe Club . . . until the fateful day when an act of kindness becomes an unforgivable betrayal.

Now, decades later, while trying to recapture the trust they've lost, Lilly and Val reunite once more -- only to uncover a shocking secret. Will it destroy their friendship, or bring them ever closer?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Andrea Israel is a producer/writer for ABC's Focus Earth. She was a producer/writer on Anderson Cooper 360, Dateline, and Good Morning America (which garnered her an Emmy Award). Her story In Donald's Eyes was recently optioned for a film. Ms. Israel is the author of Taking Tea. Her writing has appeared in many publications.

Nancy Garfinkel is co-author of The Wine Lover's Guide to the Wine Country: The Best of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino (Chronicle Books, 2005). A creative strategist, design consultant, writer, and editor for magazine, corporate, and non-profit clients, she has won a host of graphic arts and editorial merit awards. She has written extensively about food and graphic arts.

REVIEW/REACTION:

How often, or where, would you find a gorgeous while unique cookbook full of amazing recipes that really plays second to a wonderful story of friendship? THE RECIPE CLUB is one of my favorite reads in a long time. It tells the story of Valerie "Valpal" and Lilly "LillyPad", and their Recipe Club which begins when they are ten years old and pen pals. They faithfully write each other and with each letter, or note, they not only share their deepest secrets, hopes and dreams, but also attach a recipe. These pen pals turn into lifelong friends as letters turn to emails and their problems as children take on a whole new look as they grow up. Two different personalities, two different families, two different gals with many different recipes for food and friendship. That IS the recipe for a surefire successful novel and cookbook.

There is so much love in this book...love of food and love of friendship. This is a friendship that is tested as Lily and Valerie grow but it survives in good times and bad. I think readers will relate to these women and even understand when something happens to tragically try and break them apart. Is their friendship strong enough to survive this? Can a recipe be the sweetest part of this story or is it the loyal friendship of these two girls/women?

The authors, Israel and Garfinkel, give us a dynamic narrative filled with passion and purpose, emotions and eats! Their writing flowed so well and was one of those books I hated to put down. I was surely glad I started it on a slow weekend as I am afraid much would have gone undone had I not. Don't take my word on this one, as I said before, everyone has different tastes...but one thing I know is that your taste will enjoy the recipe part for sure! THE RECIPE CLUB: add two girls, stir them through good and bad times, toss with some 80 recipes, and marinate until the climax when things really heat up. The result? Well, see for yourself if this one is your taste in books!

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Caitlin and
the FSB Associates, I have 2 copies
of this yummy book to give away!

RULES:

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GOOD LUCK TO ALL!