KATE & FRIDA

In the vein of the classic 84, Charing Cross Road, this witty and tender novel is a sensuous experience of food and a deep friendship between two very different women in 1960s America.

Two strangers. One recipe. A friendship for the ages. Creamy risotto alla Milanese. Mussels in a hot, buttery broth. Chicken spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Joan Bergstrom and Imogen Fortier understand the key to a savored life - delicious food. Young Joan is just discovering herself as a foodwriter in bustling Los Angeles, while experienced columnist Imogen is settled in her decades-long marriage on Camano Island outside Seattle. When Joan sends a fan letter to Imogen with an enclosed packet of saffron and a recipe, their journey of culinary exploration and soul-deep friendship begins. A long-lost flavor surfaces buried memories, and a quest to make carne asada opens the doors of a sheltered life. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of their friendship, and of their belief that food and love can sustain us during our darkest hours. Born in Seattle and raised all over Washington State, Kim Fay is the author of the National Bestseller Love & Saffron and the Edgar Award-nominated The Map of Lost Memories. A former independent bookseller, she lived for many years in Vietnam, the inspiration for Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam. Fay now lives in Los Angeles with her musician husband Jim Vitale and their dog Mabel.