Go Ask Fannie Farmer

'A remarkably lucid and authoritative novelist' John Irving 'Accomplished, assured . . . A richly rewarding read' The Sunday Times 'A first-rate storyteller, funny and compassionate' Woman & Home ****** Murray Blaire had some serious matters to discuss this weekend, and he wanted things to run smoothly. But harmony, that Artful Dodger in so many families, had its way of eluding his family as well. . . Though the adult Blaire siblings have agreed to keep things calm and amiable on a trip to stay with their elderly father, each arrives, in true Blaire style, with a secret agenda. But plans are derailed when Lizzie, the youngest, turns up late with a burnt hand, impending criminal charges, and a damp family cookbook: Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking School. The now ruined cookbook is the last vestige of a more idyllic time, when there were four siblings, not three, a public family reputation to uphold, and a mother whose handwritten notes in the margins of the recipes are their last link to her after the accident years ago. But secrets will always out, especially amongst family: and this weekend, the Blaire siblings will learn that there is more to their mother's story than they could have anticipated... Told in three parts, roving between then and now, Go Ask Fannie Farmer tells of the life and death of Lillian Blaire, the over-bearing, bickering, but loving children who look for ways to connect with one another in her absence, and the inner lives we hide from our families. 'Irresistible' Prima 'Hyde's latest novel will delight readers' Booklist 'An engaging family saga, reminiscent of Anne Tyler or Anita Shreve' Daily Mail 'Hyde creates a family we can all relate to . . . and does so with great humour' Woman

About the Author :
Elisabeth Hyde is the author of five critically acclaimed novels, most recently In the Heart of the Canyon, a NY Times Editor's Choice and a People Magazine Great Read. Her fourth novel, The Abortionist's Daughter, became a best seller in the UK after being selected as a Summer Read by The Richard and Judy Show. Trained as a lawyer, she tried cases for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., for several years, a day-job that still gives her stomach aches just to think about it. Realizing that she preferred written conflict over face-to-face argument, she eventually left the law to write fiction, and never looked back. She lives in Boulder with her husband and the best dog in the whole world.

Review :
A remarkably lucid and authoritative novelist A book full of huge-hearted mistake makers that you'll want to call your own-GO ASK FANNIE is a rousing reminder that the only way to truly forgive another person is to first forgive yourself. - Courtney Maum, author of I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You Elisabeth Hyde has written a funny, joyous novel, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once and in the very best ways. - Laurie Frankel, author of This is How It Always Is What does it mean to be a family? What are the secrets we hide? In this poignant, often funny, yet serious novel, Elisabeth Hyde mines the mysteries and paradoxes of our most intimate connections. - Mary Morris, author of The Jazz Palace