White Truffles in Winter (35 page)

More Praise for

“Witty, delightful, and so detailed you can taste it. . . . Kelby has a foodie's flair for infusing her narrative with so many flavorful details, readers will feel like they're enjoying lavish meals right along with the novel's characters. Mercifully, without all those pesky calories. Kelby also succeeds in building a story heaped with ample portions of plot development and scene-setting.”

—Andrea Hoag,
Star Tribune
(Minneapolis)

“Fabulous. . . . Bon appétit.”

—
Good Housekeeping

“Kelby has created a sumptuous feast of a book.”

—Jessica Brockmole, Historical Novel Society, Editors' Choice

“A tale of intrigue, war and love peppered with appearances of royalty, world leaders, literati and painters set in Paris, London and, of course, kitchens.”

—Jessica Allen,
Maclean's

“A fictional narrative that is altogether lush and exotic, passionate and tenderly loving, both grandiose and simple in its form. . . . A compelling tale of love as food and food as love, this is the perfect story with which to absorb and enjoy the passion that is cooking.”

—Brenda Gaudet,
Northeast Flavor

“[Kelby] uses her own imagination to fill in the numerous gaps in [Escoffier's] official biography. . . . It's probably a good idea to read this book on a full stomach. Kelby's . . . imaginative approach to this man's life and loves—not to mention the fantastic meals he created—makes reading
White Truffles in Winter
as satisfying as a five-course feast.”

—Norah Piehl, Bookreporter.com

“Kelby captures the sensory pleasures of food and the complex role it plays in the lives of her characters—seductive, repulsive, comforting. Careful research enhances but does not overtake the narrative. Readers in search of an evocative and sensual read will be well satisfied.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Kelby's layers of detailed description allow the reader to experience the richness of Escoffier's world in terms of both food and love. . . . Through rich description based on careful research, Kelby offers intriguing possibilities regarding the life of the great Escoffier and gives us a novel well worth reading.”

—Catherine Tingelstad,
Library Journal

“Kelby's prose fits her subject, lusciously rich as the truffles and foie gras that dominate Escoffier's recipes.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“If you don't mind salivating while you read,
White Truffles in Winter
, N. M. Kelby's opulent novel based on the life of Auguste Escoffier, the ‘king of chefs and chef of kings,' is about as sumptuous a work of fiction as you're likely to find. . . . Like a cook who refuses to follow a recipe slavishly, Kelby improvises with the basic ingredients of Escoffier's life to create a delectable dish of her own. . . . A satiating read.”

—Heller McAlpin,
Barnes & Noble Review

“So vivid you can taste it.”

—Lu Lippold,
Twin Cities Daily Planet

“At its center,
White Truffles in Winter
is about . . . the transformative experience of cooking for someone you love.”

—Euan Kerr, Minnesota Public Radio

“Kelby captures Escoffier as a man torn between two loves. . . . A pleasure to read.”

—Cecie O'Bryon England,
The Written Word,
Washington Times

“There is a moment during a perfectly paced, perfectly executed meal when everything transcends. . . . N. M. Kelby's
White Truffles in Winter
is the literary equivalent of that moment.”

—Lauren Hall,
Fiction Writers Review

Copyright © 2012 by N. M. Kelby

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

First published as a Norton paperback 2012

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book,

write to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.,

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W. W. Norton Special Sales at [email protected] or 800-233-4830

Manufacturing by Courier Westford

Book design by Chris Welch Design

Production manager: Julia Druskin

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kelby, N. M. (Nicole M.)

White truffles in winter : a novel / N. M. Kelby. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-393-07999-9 (hardcover)

1. Escoffier, A. (Auguste), 1846–1935—Fiction. 2. Cooks—Fiction. 3. Monte-Carlo (Monaco)—Fiction. 4. Cooking, French—Fiction. 5. Domestic fiction. I. Title.

PS3561.E382W48 2012

813'.54—dc22

2011029292

ISBN 978-0-393-34358-8 pbk.

W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110

www.wwnorton.com

W. W. Norton & Company Ltd.

Castle House, 75/76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QT

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