A Pinch of Love: A Novel
by Alicia Bessette
Plume
Published by The Penguin Group
Available Now
Cover Design by Melissa Jacoby
More than a year after her husband was killed during a relief mission in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, Rose-Ellen “Zell” can’t bring herself to move on with her life. Zell who has lived her life with her meals provided via take out or the microwave. So much so, that her husband could even hide surprises for her in the oven knowing it would never be used.
A simple error by a postal carrier changes her life. She receives a magazine touting a baking contest with a $20,000 grand prize. She decides to enter and win and donate the money to hurricane survivors in her husband’s memory. Thankfully after a failed baking attempt that almost burns her house down, Zell meets Ingrid. Ingrid is nine years old, lives next door to Zell with her dad, and Ingrid’s mother is completely out of the picture. These two form an unlikely friendship as they endeavor to win the baking the contest. They both have very different reasons for wanting to win and this contest could change both of their lives forever.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
A compassionate look at the grieving process. The author has mixed together the perfect ingredients to turn out a true recipe of hope and light through the darkness of losing a loved one. The new bonds created are real and ring true in a engaging story that may have you laughing one moment and crying the next.
The characters in this story are absolutely wonderful. Even the character of Zell’s husband is fully developed and his strength carries on in Zell as she allows herself to grieve her devastating lost. It is true sometimes the best medicine for the hardest times comes from children and our pawed friends.
If you are like me and endured Home Economics in high school you will love the Ye Old Home Ec Witch references and how the “witch” spends her time in retirement.
Keep some tissues handy, the entire story will warm your heart and remember a pinch of love never hurts no matter what you are doing.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I thought it was a sweet book – a nice debut (I read it last year when it had a different title: Simply From Scratch).