I adored the intergenerational friendships, delicious food descriptions, a woman embarking on a new path in their autumn years, a refreshingly kind glimpse at humanity, and epistolary construction.
I gave the book a hug when it ended and I give frequently as a hostess gift. During Covid, Fay decided to write a book that a reader could enjoy in one afternoon. Love and Saffron comes in at just one hundred eighty nine pages with many of the pages being recipes, so this is not an unreasonable task.
Set in the nineteen sixties, Joan a twenty seven year old food lover decides to write a letter to Imogen, a well known and seasoned food critic. Imogen writes her back.
Thus begins a long and meaningful friendship. Both women blossom in each other’s caring letters. Joan, an experimental cook even opens Imogen’s eyes to more
exotic fare and we are given a glimpse of Imogen creating Carne asada with her husband, not an easy task in the bland ingredient years of the nineteen
sixties.
I enjoyed being a fly on the wall to this special friendship. Kim Fay started her career as a bookseller at the beautiful Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle and then moved to Vietnam where she fell in love with the culture and the food.
She has also written many award winning books including a food memoir, Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam, a Gourmand World Cookbook Award winner and was a Hotel and Travel Editor for the travel, food, and lifestyle website, Gayot.com, for thirteen years. She is currently the Managing Editor for The Animation Guild's Keyframe magazine and website.
Quoting from story graph, Love and saffron is 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.
I recommend it for people who don’t view cooking as a chore, rather a way to show love, fans of Julia Child, lovers of good food writing and a heart warming tale of friendship. Until the next episode of Likely Stories, I wish you a pile of good books and a cozy reading spot.
