Love & Saffron Book Review

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really connects us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best medicine.

When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter, as well as a gift of saffron, to fifty-nine-year-old food columnist Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and unexpected tragedies in their own lives. In their letters, Joan and Imogen explore their experiences and their thoughts about love, joy, sadness, and death, and the result is beautiful.

There’s no denying I’m a foodie. I have more fun putting together my two-week menu than almost anything else. I’ll admit, however, that saffron rarely makes it onto my grocery list. If an interviewer asked about my hobbies, I would say reading and cooking, so this book was spot on for me.

Love & Saffron was a delightful departure from my usual reading fare. The author uses letters to tell the story, which is a convention that rarely appeals to me, but this time I ate it up. In many ways, Fay’s novel reminds me of 84, Charing Cross Road, another gem of a novel. The book is a brief respite from our turbulent world and gave me a smidgeon of joy as I traveled through its two hundred pages (four hours on audio). The characters are likeable, and the story is touching. Recipes are even included! Love & Saffron is a witty and tender novel about friendship (and cooking, of course) during uncertain times and I adored it. 4 stars.

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