Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

In Kitchens of the Great Midwest, the reader is first introduced to Eva Thorvald as a baby. Throughout the novel we see Eva grow to adulthood to become one of the most sought after chefs in the world. Each chapter is named for a particular food that is important to someone associated with Eva. The chapters themselves read like intertwined short stories that sometimes are only tangentially related to Eva. Please don't let what I've described dissuade you from reading this first novel. It's a love letter to food, the Midwest, and family--with many characters so vividly-drawn you cannot help but fall in love with it. A book to savor and think about long after you finish...