A middle-aged writer and a 93-year-old
widower, both facing changes, become friends through the satiating comfort of
food.
Two lost souls
bond over gourmet feasts in Dinner with Edward, a
memoir by investigative journalist Isabel Vincent (Gilded Lily: Lily Safra).
Isabel--a middle-aged newspaper reporter transplanted to New York City as her
marriage comes undone--meets a dear friend for dinner. The friend's 95-year-old
mother has recently died, and she fears her father, Edward, is giving up on
life. She asks Isabel to check in on him occasionally, touting Edward's
culinary prowess. Isabel's loneliness in a new city ultimately propels her to
show up at Edward's apartment on Roosevelt Island, armed with a bottle of wine.
One meal turns into a weekly, culinary rendezvous where meticulous and debonair
Edward, a self-trained cook, whips up savory and sweet feasts, paired perfectly
with cocktails. "Edward was neither a snob nor an insufferable foodie. He
just liked to do things properly." Over dinner, he conveys heartfelt
details of his life, his creative pursuits and his enchanted marriage,
ultimately becoming something of a teacher and protective father figure to
Isabel. He offers wisdom and perspective as Isabel shares her adventures
working for the New York Post, her crumbling marriage, difficulties
in raising her daughter and her return to dating.
Dinner with Edward emerges as a beautiful,
passionate love story--wholly platonic--about two people whose lives are have
undergone change, but who learn how to adapt and truly appreciate life again. Isabel Vincent's rich,
perfectly paced narrative is served with as much wonder and gratitude as the
deliciously conveyed indulgence of each satisfying, lingering meal.
Dinner with Edward: A Story of Unexpected Friendship by Isabel Vincent
Algonquin Books, $23.99 Hardcover, 9781616204228, 224 pages
Publication Date: May 24, 2016
To order this book on INDIEBOUND, link HERE
NOTE: This review is a reprint and is being posted with the permission of Shelf Awareness. To read this review on Shelf Awareness: Reader's Edition (June 3, 2016), link HERE
