Delicious!

A Novel

De: Ruth Reichl

Narrado por: Julia Whelan

In her bestselling memoirs Ruth Reichl has long illuminated the theme of how food defines us, and never more so than in her dazzling fiction debut about sisters, family ties, and a young woman who must finally let go of guilt and grief to embrace her own true gifts.

Billie Breslin has travelled far from her California home to take a job at Delicious, the most iconic food magazine in New York and, thus, the world. When the publication is suddenly shut down, the colourful staff, who have become an extended family for Billie, must pick up their lives and move on. Not Billie, though. She is offered a new job: staying behind in the magazine's deserted downtown mansion offices to uphold the "Delicious Guarantee"--a public relations hotline for complaints and recipe inquiries--until further notice. What she doesn't know is that this boring, lonely job will be the portal to a life-changing discovery.
Delicious! carries the reader to the colourful world of downtown New York restaurateurs and artisanal purveyors. And from the lively food shop in Little Italy where Billie works on weekends to a hidden room in the magazine's library where she discovers the letters of Lulu Swan, a plucky twelve-year-old, who wrote to the legendary chef James Beard during World War II. Lulu's letters lead Billie to a deeper understanding of history (and the history of food), but most important, Lulu's courage in the face of loss inspires Billie to come to terms with her own issues--the panic attacks that occur every time she even thinks about cooking, the truth about the big sister she adored, and her ability to open her heart to love.

Includes a bonus PDF of Billie's Gingerbread Recipe

Wonderful

Absolutely wonderful! I learned much about many things through this literary experience and could not put it down!!!

Delicious is delicious

While occasionally predictable, Delicious is a marvelous tale with characters you come to feel as if you know in real life. Always have a snack while reading.

Very interesting book!

Liked it a lot!
The story is so intriguing and tasty.
Overall book is highly recommended for all food lovers.

Delicious ! tasty but mellow by today's measure

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Would I recommend to a friend ? Answer: Depends on the friend. If the world of cooking and the values inherent thereof is the friend's idea of keen, then YES - otherwise, I am not sure. Some books make a major motion picture overnight because of the topic, but if this became a hit it would be because of the wonderful humane and not-perfect touches. Dearness. The heroine is starting adult life and finding her way, while , we learn, recuperating from a major loss. So the people she meets and their impact on her life can be really special - she looks for, and finds the best of what she needs to win thru and does.It may be a bit like shopping for ingredients for a favorite recipe, but it works!

If you’ve listened to books by Ruth Reichl before, how does this one compare?

I am unfamiliar with the author, but may go and read more - if it is easy and offered here. My days right now are unusually demanding and I got this book for relief - thank you thank you - it did that.

What does Julia Whelan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Being an reader is not that easy - the right amount of objectivity or it is theater and not a book at all - and yet a certain amount of expression that clarifies the words - optimizes is a better word. FUN! To have a book read to one is fun. Thanksomuch

If you could take any character from Delicious! out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I'd like to be at table with the company- the ensemble is the thing - a fine Salamagundi - what a privilege!

Any additional comments?

It is nice that the book makes a statement on the gay topic, including a main character who is gay and most loved and treated with kindness; he is generous and good to others. I think this is important because cooking icon James Beard is referenced a lot in the book, and he suffered a number of times for his preferences. It makes a person think and see how the world has changed since Mr. Beard was expelled from college in 1922 for his romantic choices.

On a final topic:
I do not like books that do not support weddings, but in this story it is a temporary logic.
On this point the author or Billie or both are exulting in grief - celebrating it and riding on it, rather than healing it.

We leave the book hoping that our hero and heroine "get over it" and into weddings and wedding cakes before too long.

Other than that, the story was told with grand compassion, kindness, innovation , fun, brightness and warmth and pleasure pleasure pleasure.

Thanksomuch!

Well named

This isn't a book that I will read again and again, but it is a captivating book full of love able characters and a little mystery, It's helped make a bad cold more bearable and I'm sorry to have reached the end. As always, in a Ruth Reichl book, there were plenty of chances to indulge my culinary fancies without consuming any calories ..... And a few new ideas I can't wait to try once I'm back in the kitchen.