Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies: A Novel

by Vicky Zimmerman Narrated by Beth Chalmers

Overview

When her life falls apart on the eve of her 40th birthday, Kate Parker finds herself volunteering at the Lauderdale House for Exceptional Ladies. There she meets 97-year-old Cecily Finn. Cecily's tongue is as sharp as her mind, but she's fed up with pretty much everything. Having no patience with Kate's choices, Cecily prescribes her a self-help book with a difference. Food for Thought, a charming 1950s cookbook high on enthusiasm, features menus for anything life can throw at the "easily dismayed." So begins an unlikely friendship between two lonely and stubborn souls-one at the end of her life, one stuck in the middle-who both discover one big life lesson: no one should ever be ashamed to ask for more.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A can’t-miss title for fans of chick lit and modern women’s fiction." — Library Journal, Starred Review

"A beautiful, thoughtful read about love, friendship and food with shades of Nora Ephron’s Heartburn and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Read it and then give a copy to all of your friends." — Tasmina Perry, international bestselling author of Daddy’s Girls

"Beautifully written, full of insight and food. This is one of those I carried round the house wanting to read it every spare second." — Katie Fforde, bestselling author of A Perfect Proposal

"Wise, warm, witty and mouth-watering - this wonderful book has it all . . . Hungry for a love story with added bite? With deliciously real characters, a sprinkling of humour, a pinch of pathos and huge helping of wisdom, this book has all the ingredients to become this summer's must-read." — Isabelle Broom, bestselling author of One Thousand Stars and You

"Zimmerman adeptly juggles entertainment with deeper themes of longing and loss in this appetizing novel." — Booklist

Library Journal

★ 04/01/2020

DEBUT As 39-year-old foodie Kate approaches the dreaded 4–0, her stable life starts to unravel. Her job may be on the chopping block, but even more upsetting is when her soon-to-be live-in boyfriend says he needs to "retreat." To get her mind off her troubles, she volunteers to give food demos at a retirement home for elderly women, where she meets cantankerous 97-year-old Cecily, who disdains Kate's choices and how she wastes precious time on her boring job and unsuitable boyfriend. As relations begin to thaw a little and Cecily tells Kate about her adventurous life, Kate starts to wonder if Cecily is right. This is a fast and fabulous third-person read about life, loneliness, love, and the power of good food and friends. Zimmerman keeps things realistic, including Kate's modern relationship troubles (e.g., ghosting and a noncommittal boyfriend who constantly lets her down), frustrated friends, and an irritating mother. But Cecily, a mentor Kate meets by chance, is the real star, with her jaw-dropping insults, fascinating life story, and brusque but well-meaning advice. VERDICT A can't-miss title for fans of chick lit and modern women's fiction.—Samantha Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177571126
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	05/19/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

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