Author:Diana Secker Tesdell
Stories from the Kitchen is a mouth-watering smorgasbord of stories with food in the starring role, by a rich variety of authors from Dickens, Chekhov and Saki to Isak Dinesen, Jim Crace and Amy Tan. The menu includes choice titbits from famous novels: the triumphant boeuf en daube served in Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse, Proust's rhapsodic memories of watching the family cook prepare asparagus in Remembrance of Things Past, Zola's extravagant 'cheese symphony' scene from The Belly of Paris.
Here are over-the-top amuse-bouches by Gerald Durrell, Nora Ephron and T. C. Boyle; a short story by famous food writer M. F. K. Fisher; and a delightful account of the perfect meal by eighteenth-century epicure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who famously said 'Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.'
Full of bittersweet Christmas moments. A real gem.
—— Good HousekeepingThese stories are heartwarming.
—— Imogen Lycett Green , Daily MailJoyce is warm and very funny, and she has a merciless eye for those nightmare moments when weaknesses are exposed and everything is called into question.
—— Kate Saunders , The TimesThe perfect tonic for tinsel-itis, [A Snow Garden] is laced with quietly devastating observations on love and marriage.
—— Hephzibah Anderson , ObserverAs sparkling and Christmassy as a selection box.
—— Sunday MirrorRachel Joyce is one of the most sensitive but forensic archaeologists of everyday life. A Snow Garden is a powerful collection of loosely connected Christmas tales .. acutely observed. As many people reach panic mode, they will be a gentle reminder of what really matters at this time of year.
—— Patricia Nicol , Sunday TimesEach of these Christmas stories has wit and charm and holds a quirky surprise
—— Choice MagazineThe perfect tonic for tinsel-itis, it’s laced with quietly devastating observations on love and marriage.
—— guardianher first collection of stories; each has a wintry warmth, and the lightness of touch and emotional depth that marks all of Joyce’s work. Need another reason to get hold of it? It’s a beautiful little book, too, perfect to discover under wrapping paper and ribbon
—— Erica Wagner , Harper's BazaarIF you are on the hunt for a festive read that completely encapsulates the magic of Christmas without even a smidgen of schmaltz then Rachel Joyce’s new collection of short stories is just what you are looking for. These seven tales, which are cleverly interlinked, are set over a two-week period during Christmas and New Year....There is a sprinkling of otherworldliness that gives them a truly magical feel. This is the perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire this Christmas. The stories may be short but the emotional impact lasts long after you’ve finished the last page.
—— Daily ExpressThis collection compellingly captures what Joyce excels in evoking throughout her writing - the intimations of new beginnings in even the most painful ending.
—— ObserverEvery word the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry writes is a bittersweet dream. Christmas music, drunken Santas and unrealistic expectations are all on the menu in these linked stories that stretch from the last day of school term all the way through to New Year’s Eve. There’s even a donkey and a baby…
—— Cathy Rentzenbrink , StylistJoyce is warm and very funny, and she has a merciless eye for those nightmare moments when weaknesses are exposed and everything is called into question
—— The TimesA collection of domestic, family tales, looping themselves warmly around Christmas rituals ... Heart-warming
—— Daily MailHe can pull you into the heart of a new world with just two or three sentences, and deploys this talent with apparent ease… Haddon’s work is easy to relate to because it’s underpinned with razor-sharp clarity about what it means to be human.
—— Club LifeShows the breadth of his ability.
—— Alex O'Connell , The TimesTerrific dark collection in which each story is as absorbing and powerful as the last. Not to be missed.
—— Fanny Blake , Woman & HomeEchoing humanity. The title story is an exercise in style. Staccato sentences, like a ticker tape of headlines, describe the fall of a pier.
—— Donal O'Donoghue , RTE GuideHighly anticipated collection.
—— WiredGovThe Pier Falls, published May, is a collection of nine brilliant short stories, perfect for dipping into when you have a spare moment.
—— Kerry Potter , GlamourBleak but arresting stories.
—— Sunday TimesDiverse in style but united in emotional power… Lyrical new collection… All showcase his virtuoso gifts as a stylist and the deep well of empathy that have made his bestselling novels so compelling... The Pier Falls showcases Haddon’s immense gifts of invention and penetrating insight.
—— Northern Ireland Homes & LifestyleMark Haddon has become a master of the short story…this new collection intrigues and horrifies by turn
—— Country & Town HouseGripping tale… Told with forensic precision.
—— Paddy Kehoe , RTE OnlineExuberant, lusty exercises in juxtaposition… Such contrasts not only power each piece but also act as a form of call and response across them… Terrifically compelling collection.
—— Alex Clark , GuardianImpressive but forbiddingly lightless collection. There’s no doubt about Haddon’s skill.
—— Tim Martin , New StatesmanHave you ever read a book that made you gasp out loud and nearly burst into tears? The title story…had that effect on me… Haddon is able to give human tragedy the due solemnity it deserves but without being po-faced. A wonderful collection.
—— Anne Sexton , Hot PressGuaranteed to keep me riveted.
—— Karen Byrom , My WeeklyGripping… Packs the action and themes that might power a very full novel into less than 70 pages
—— John Williams , New York TimesScintillating first foray into the shorter form… Beautifully crafted… A challenging and idiosyncratic talent, with a memorable way with words.
—— Max Davidson , Mail on Sunday[Haddon] portrays the nightmares of our own society…with astonishing deftness, mixing black humour and pathos.
—— David Platzer , TabletThe Pier Falls had me gasping in disbelief.
—— Chris Catchpole , Q[It was] grim and compelling… [A] ripping, gripping yarn – narrative velcro.
—— Craige Raine , Spectator, Book of the YearI savoured all the atmospheric short stories in The Pier Falls.
—— Elizabeth Reapy , Irish Times, Book of the YearAn enthralling short story collection; dark, immersive stories with lots of action. The writing is tight and inspiring.
—— E. Reapy , Irish Independent, Book of the Year[A] searing collection of short stories that thrill and chill in equal measure.
—— Claire Allfree , Metro, Book of the YearI was also captivated by the dark A Pier Falls, a brilliantly written collection of bleak and brutal short stories.
—— Mernie Gilmore , Daily Express, Book of the YearI adored The Pier Falls… Each story is wildly entertaining and well written.
—— Dave Rudden , Headstuff, Book of the Year[It] proves the capacity of a short story to immerse the reader fully in a fictional world.
—— Anita Sethi , Guardian, Book of the YearThis short-story collection is thrilling and exquisitely written. I gave out several copies as Christmas presents.
—— Claire Fuller , Sunday TelegraphAn exquisite writer.
—— Fiona Wilson , The TimesMesmerisingly good stories, hugely varied, skilfully written, full of deft touches and narrative shocks... an absolute treat
—— Marcus Berkman , Spectator, *Books of the Year*