REVIEW: Delicious!

A novel by Ruth Reichl

Delicious! tells the tale of Billie Breslin, a Californian in her early twenties who takes a job as an assistant at the most iconic food magazine in New York. Billie has an unusual talent for identifying spices and combining flavors, which attracts the attention of her new colleagues and culinary acquaintances in the city. When Delicious is surprisingly shut down, Billie is offered a job to stay behind in the magazine’s deserted downtown mansion offices to answer the magazines “Delicious Guarantee” and respond to complaints and recipe inquiries from the public.

During this period, she discovers a hidden room in the magazine’s library with a trove of correspondence during World War II between Lulu Swan, a precocious 12-year-old, and legendary chef James Beard. Reading about Lulu’s courage in the face of difficult circumstances helps Billie overcome a past trauma that has caused her to shy away from baking or cooking, despite her evident talent.

Ruth Reichl is the editor-in-chief for Gourmet Magazine and is known for her best-selling memoirs. This book was a delight to read, in no small part due to the vividly described settings and nuanced characters.

— Maggie Mohr, Main Library, Charleston, S.C.

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