Lizzy and Jane

Lizzy and Jane
Katherine Reay
(HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson)
ISBN: 978-1401689735
October 2014/252 pages/$15.99

Sometimes the courage to face your greatest fears comes only when you've run out of ways to escape.

At the end of a long night, Elizabeth leans against the industrial oven and takes in her kingdom. Once vibrant and flawless, evenings in the kitchen now feel chaotic and exhausting. She's lost her culinary magic, and business is slowing down.

When worried investors enlist the talents of a tech-savvy celebrity chef to salvage the restaurant, Elizabeth feels the ground shift beneath her feet. Not only has she lost her touch; she's losing her dream.

And her means of escape.

When her mother died, Elizabeth fled home and the overwhelming sense of pain and loss. But fifteen years later, with no other escapes available, she now returns. Brimming with desperation and dread, Elizabeth finds herself in the unlikeliest of places, by her sister’s side in Seattle as Jane undergoes chemotherapy.

As her new life takes the form of care, cookery, and classic literature, Elizabeth is forced to reimagine her future and reevaluate her past. But can a New York City chef with a painful history settle down with the family she once abandoned . . . and make peace with the sister who once abandoned her?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katherine Reay has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries. After earning degrees in history and marketing from Northwestern University, she worked in not-for-profit development before returning to school to pursue her MTS. Katherine lives with her husband and three children in Seattle, WA. Dear Mr. Knightley, her first novel, was a 2014 Carol Award double winner (Debut Novel and Contemporary Novel) and a 2014 Inspy Award winner. Twitter: @Katherine_Reay Facebook: katherinereaybooks


MY THOUGHTS

Katherine Reay is an absolute delight and Lizzy and Jane is every bit as charming as she is. Guaranteed to resonate with any Jane Austen fan, the appeal of this novel isn't limited to that audience. Reay has layered this novel with multiple threads that intertwine and tug at the heart. 'Tis best to read this one after dinner, as Elizabeth's culinary journey and experiments will have your taste buds wanting to crawl through the book. Stunning succulent details provide rich color and a unique depth without turning the novel into a nutrition lesson or cookbook. Family dynamics--and the strain that a cancer diagnosis adds to the already tenuous cords between sisters, spouses, parent & child--are honestly yet tenderly portrayed, and the pages fairly palpate with emotions that simmer and, at times, boil over. Care, friendship, love, forgiveness, and the shared bond of literature infuse this heartwarming story. Don't miss the opportunity to read anything that Katherine Reay writes. You'll be richer for it.


I purchased a digital copy of this book because I loved meeting and interviewing Katherine Reay back in June at ICRS. If you missed that interview, you can read it here.

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