DELICIOUS! Ruth Reichl - Fiction for foodies

Acclaimed New York food memoirist Ruth Reichl has created a delicious and  dazzling concoction for her fiction debut – a novel about sisters, family ties and a  young woman who must find the courage to let go of the past in order to embrace  her own true gifts. In possession of an unusually sophisticated palate, Billie Breslin lands her dream job in New  York City at Delicious!, the world’s most iconic food magazine.  But just as her career is  starting an unfortunate turn of events forces the magazine to close.  When Billie is kept on  to answer readers’ letters, what looks like an interim job turns out to be an amazing journey  to a magical, life-changing discovery. In a hidden room in the magazine's library, Billie finds the letters of Lulu Swan, a plucky  twelve-year-old who corresponded with the legendary chef James Beard during World War II. Lulu's letters inspire Billie to come to terms with her own truths – about herself, her adored big sister and her ability to open her heart to love. This big, generous novel is full of food and romance and, ultimately, the vast array of life's possibilities.There is even a recipe for Anzac Biscuits.  ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ruth Reichl (pron. rye-chill) was born and raised in Greenwich Village, New York City.   She wrote her first cookbook at twenty-one and was the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine for ten years until it folded in 2012, and the author of three bestselling food memoirs: Tender at the Bone (1999), Comfort Me With Apples (2001) and Garlic and Sapphires (2005), all published by Allen & Unwin. Ruth Reichl edited the comprehensive Gourmet Cookbook and has been the restaurant  critic at the New York Times and the food editor and restaurant critic at the Los Angeles  Times.  She lives with her husband in upstate New York. PUBLICATION:    28 April 2014 Allen & Unwin - pareback - NZ$36.99