In the vein of the classic 84, Charing Cross Road, this witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best medicine.
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.
"Part historical fiction, part friendship saga, and part carnival for the senses, Love & Saffron isn't just for food lovers--it's an ode to risk-takers, trailblazers, and the chefs in all of us. With lush descriptions of food and a resonant historical setting, Love & Saffron is a sweet, savory, and emotional pleasure. It's like a dinner with friends you won't want to end." - J. Ryan Stradal, author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest
"Impossible to put down... By the end, I was shedding tears along with the characters, and felt as if I'd made two friends. This is an irresistible story of two women from a lost time, both determined to make the best of things." - The Seattle Times
"Delicious food, wonderful characters, and adventures abound in this delightful story that simmers with affection." - Christian Science Monitor
"Fiction and culinary travel writer Fay ( The Map of Lost Memories, 2012) has crafted a delectable second novel showing how food can bring people together, even across distances and cultures...Fay's emotionally generous novel demonstrates how people's worlds can expand when they open themselves to new possibilities. Readers will be touched by this enriching tale and inspired to embark on their own international culinary adventures." - Booklist
"Fay's touch is deft...The story leaves the reader wanting more-more recipes, more letters, more time in the gentle, unfolding friendship of these two women. A glimpse into a friendship that doesn't hesitate to touch on joy, sadness, love, and death." - Kirkus Reviews
"Unutterably delightful...In this sweet, slender novel, Fay uses vibrant food descriptions to connect her two main characters and to assist them in coping with the dire news of an alarming era...Perfect for those burned out by current news cycles, Love & Saffron is a gentle escape to the past, and also a reminder both that others have survived 'unprecedented times, ' and that deep connections can be made even when people are physically separated." - Shelf Awareness
"This gentle story about female friendship is sure to be a hit with foodies and fans of early 1960s America." - Historical Novels Review
"In Kim Fay's charming novel two women in 1960s Los Angeles and Washington state become the best of friends long before they meet in person. Together, they navigate relationships, ambition, societal expectations, and the arts of making and writing about food. Warm, delicious, and absolutely satisfying--I devoured in one enthusiastic gulp!" - Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Last Train to London and The Postmistress of Paris
"In an age when we're barraged with Twitter blow-ups, pandemic deaths, and political discourse of the most uncivil kind, Love & Saffron is as refreshing as watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean, with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a bowl of garlicky clams at your elbow. Kim Fay convincingly recreates a charming and civil world, and a touching friendship, in a period piece that will restore you to your kinder, gentler self." - Richard C. Morais, author of The Hundred Foot Journey
