Twentysomething Frida Rodriguez arrives in Paris in 1991, relishing the city’s butter-soaked cuisine and seeking her future as a war correspondent. But then she writes to a bookshop in Seattle, and receives more than just the book she requests. A friendship begins that will redefine the person she wants to become. Seattle bookseller Kate Fair is transformed by Frida’s free spirit, spurred to believe in herself as a writer, to kiss her handsome coworker and to find beauty even in loss. Through the most tumultuous years of their young lives --- personally and globally --- Kate and Frida sustain and nourish each other as they learn the necessity of embracing joy, especially through our darkest hours.

Creamy risotto alla Milanese. Mussels in a hot, buttery broth. Chicken spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Joan Bergstrom and Imogen Fortier understand the key to a savored life --- delicious food. Young Joan is just discovering herself as a food writer in bustling Los Angeles, while experienced columnist Imogen is settled in her decades-long marriage on Camano Island outside Seattle. When Joan sends a fan letter to Imogen with an enclosed packet of saffron and a recipe, their journey of culinary exploration and soul-deep friendship begins. A long-lost flavor surfaces buried memories, and a quest to make carne asada opens the doors of a sheltered life. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of their friendship, and of their belief that food and love can sustain us during our darkest hours.

Irene Blum is reeling from the death of her father and the loss of her position at the museum she helped to build. When a mentor gives her a diary showing the possible location of an ancient temple deep in the Cambodian jungle, Irene sets out to find the temple and the mysterious scrolls supposedly hidden there, hoping to claim a reputation she believes she deserves.