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Love & Saffron
The #1 Indie Next Pick, in the vein of the classic 84, Charing Cross Road and Meet Me at the Museum, this witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best medicine.
When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter--as well as a gift of saffron--to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she's never tasted fresh garlic--exotic fare in the Northwest of the sixties. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the unexpected in their own lives.
Food and a good life--they can't be separated. It is a discovery the women share, not only with each other, but with the men in their lives. Because of her correspondence with Joan, Imogen's decades-long marriage blossoms into something new and exciting, and in turn, Joan learns that true love does not always come in the form we expect it to. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of Joan and Imogen's friendship--a test that summons their unconditional trust in each other.
A brief respite from our chaotic world, Love & Saffron is a gem of a novel, a reminder that food and friendship are the antidote to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating.
When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter--as well as a gift of saffron--to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she's never tasted fresh garlic--exotic fare in the Northwest of the sixties. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the unexpected in their own lives.
Food and a good life--they can't be separated. It is a discovery the women share, not only with each other, but with the men in their lives. Because of her correspondence with Joan, Imogen's decades-long marriage blossoms into something new and exciting, and in turn, Joan learns that true love does not always come in the form we expect it to. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of Joan and Imogen's friendship--a test that summons their unconditional trust in each other.
A brief respite from our chaotic world, Love & Saffron is a gem of a novel, a reminder that food and friendship are the antidote to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published February 8, 2022
1100 people are currently reading
32326 people want to read
About the author
Kim Fay
15 books393 followersKim Fay is the author of the USA Today-bestselling Kate & Frida, the instant National Bestseller Love & Saffron, and The Map of Lost Memories, an Edgar Award Finalist for Best First Novel. She has also written a food memoir, Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam. She created and served as the series editor for the innovative To Asia With Love guidebooks, and was a Hotel and Travel Editor for the travel, food, and lifestyle website, Gayot.com, for thirteen years. She is currently the Managing Editor for The Animation Guild's Keyframe magazine and website.
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October 31, 2021
Love & Saffron by Kim Fay is a 2022 G.P. Putnam’s Sons publication.
A Lovely Epistolary story of food and friendship-
In the early 1960s, Joan Bergstrom writes to columnist Imogene Fortier, sending along a sample of saffron. Joan and her mother were fans of Fortier, which is what prompted the young twenty-seven-year-old Joan to write to Imogene, who was in her late fifties, at the time.
The fragrant saffron triggered a memory for Imogene’s husband, Francis, and awakens in him a culinary flair Imogene never knew existed. Thus, Imogene answers Joan's fan letter, spawning an unlikely, but profound friendship between the two women.
As the years pass, they share their ups and downs, highs and lows, advising and offering support and encouragement to one another unwaveringly.
At the forefront of their correspondence is food. Joan is a whiz at spices and the various delights of California style cooking, while Imogene takes the recipes and adds the taste of her own region, while marveling at the new avenues Joan’s influence as opened for her, Francis, and their marriage.
The power of written words in the form of letter writing, certainly a lost art- knocked me sideways. Writing out our thoughts requires one’s undivided attention and opens an avenue of intimacy that talking on the phone can’t match.
The story made me think about that quite a bit. But, it is the situation that Joan faces, and the emotional choices she was forced to consider, that was both frustrating and heart-rending- but her courage was also inspirational.
Obviously, it was the unconditional support and encouragement of her special friend, Imogene, that gave her the strength to make the best choices.
I loved this story- just loved it. The story is emotional at times, but overall, it is a touching and inspirational story! Highly recommend!
A Lovely Epistolary story of food and friendship-
In the early 1960s, Joan Bergstrom writes to columnist Imogene Fortier, sending along a sample of saffron. Joan and her mother were fans of Fortier, which is what prompted the young twenty-seven-year-old Joan to write to Imogene, who was in her late fifties, at the time.
The fragrant saffron triggered a memory for Imogene’s husband, Francis, and awakens in him a culinary flair Imogene never knew existed. Thus, Imogene answers Joan's fan letter, spawning an unlikely, but profound friendship between the two women.
As the years pass, they share their ups and downs, highs and lows, advising and offering support and encouragement to one another unwaveringly.
At the forefront of their correspondence is food. Joan is a whiz at spices and the various delights of California style cooking, while Imogene takes the recipes and adds the taste of her own region, while marveling at the new avenues Joan’s influence as opened for her, Francis, and their marriage.
The power of written words in the form of letter writing, certainly a lost art- knocked me sideways. Writing out our thoughts requires one’s undivided attention and opens an avenue of intimacy that talking on the phone can’t match.
The story made me think about that quite a bit. But, it is the situation that Joan faces, and the emotional choices she was forced to consider, that was both frustrating and heart-rending- but her courage was also inspirational.
Obviously, it was the unconditional support and encouragement of her special friend, Imogene, that gave her the strength to make the best choices.
I loved this story- just loved it. The story is emotional at times, but overall, it is a touching and inspirational story! Highly recommend!
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February 22, 2022Reviewed in the February 2022 edition of Quick Lit on Modern Mrs Darcy:
So many of you are going to LOVE this epistolary novel, set in the 1960s, that the publisher aptly compares to 84, Charing Cross Road. When L.A.-based Joan writes a fan letter to Camano Island (WA) columnist Imogen to thank her for her column in a Pacific Northwest-based magazine, enclosing a packet of saffron and a recipe, a lasting friendship is born. The women become pen-friends, exchanging letters that move from the topic of food to books (so many books!) to the troubles (and occasional triumphs) of their personal lives. This just may be the gentle, feel-good novel you're looking for.
So many of you are going to LOVE this epistolary novel, set in the 1960s, that the publisher aptly compares to 84, Charing Cross Road. When L.A.-based Joan writes a fan letter to Camano Island (WA) columnist Imogen to thank her for her column in a Pacific Northwest-based magazine, enclosing a packet of saffron and a recipe, a lasting friendship is born. The women become pen-friends, exchanging letters that move from the topic of food to books (so many books!) to the troubles (and occasional triumphs) of their personal lives. This just may be the gentle, feel-good novel you're looking for.
February 25, 2022
Real Rating: 3.75* of five, rounded up because I'll read more
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: First, read this:
I'll be honest: I asked for this DRC because the subtitle uses the series (or Oxford) comma correctly, which is as promising a start as I can conjure in these degenerate punctuation-heretical times, and the tale is told in epistolary format. I am in the mood for a story of friendship. I am always gruntled by the effective use of epistolary storytelling. And I deeply love reading about people sharing their love of food.
You'll be looking up at that not-quite-four-star rating about now. I can explain.
All of my initial conditions were met, and met fully. I got the epistolary format used well: These are friends by post. There are gaps, lacunae in communicating with each other, and that enables the author to move the pace along in a more natural way. The fact that each letter was a crafted document, a thing one sat down to make and to serve a purpose...evoking in the friend an emotional response...that requires thought. Attention. Serious choice-making. That was evident in the prose (see above).
In Part I, the friendship developed from an initial fan letter that touched Imogen, the recipient, because of its inclusion of a packet of saffron. Now's the time to talk about the 1960s in the USA. As the world is now, a packet of saffron is a welcome gift because it's not cheap. As the world was then, a gift of a narwhal tusk would have about the same impact as saffron. "Whatinahell's that?" Imogen, who can dig clams or hunt an elk, hasn't tasted fresh garlic. In her life. Imagine the impact of SAFFRON! And no, those under 50, this wasn't in the least bit unusual.
I grew up in a household that had WAY more in the way of culinary adventurousness than the average. My parents were older when I was born, we lived near San Francisco, California, which had Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Japanese cuisines and ingredients all over, and my mother loved to experiment with weird, Gourmet-magazine type dishes. (Tuesday dinner, not so much. Feasts, though....) Then my mother and I moved to South Texas, where she hailed from, and I found the goddesses' natural food: Tex-Mex. BUT no one in 1967 Mercedes, Texas, had ever seen a fresh apricot or tasted General Tso's chicken. And that is where I can relate to this story: Joan is possessed of knowledge that Imogen simply doesn't have, or have any way to know she lacks.
So this cultural exchange is one I loved reading about. The historical moment...Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK assassination, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan ("a rrrrrrilllllly big shew!")...was the background of my childhood. They write to each other about it all. They write to each other about their cooking adventures. Single Joan has a lot to offer long-married Imogen because she (figuratively) listens and isn't invested in a particular outcome. What Imogen offers Joan is the simple, invaluable resource of being older, and experienced, and generous with her time, too. In a long novella/short novel, the two forge a perfectly balanced and genuinely moving friendship.
And now about those missing stars.
I am not nit-picking when I say that a book with the delicious recipes in it that this book has (the carne asada!!) needs to hyperlink them somewhere. I don't have a final copy, of course, but the paper copies don't appear to have an index either. (This is as of 6 February 2022, 6pm EST, when I went trolling for reviews last.) Yes yes yes, one can highlight them on the Kindle, but this is an oversight that would make the book even better if it were addressed. There's one quarter star.
Francis, Imogen's husband, blossoming into a passionate foodie during the course of the correspondence is a pleasure, insofar as it's presented to us...but Imogen is reporting it, of course, as it's an epistolary novel between Joan and herself. It's a feature, not a bug; but it left me feeling distanced from Imogen's lived life. I don't think this was a deal-breaker because epistolary...it's in the description...but I do think its impact on Imogen wasn't able to be explored quite as well as would've served the tale told. A quarter-star, and a sigh of regret for a too-short third-person catch-up in Part II.
Joan's life as a secretary at Rexall Drugs was, of course, the kind of job a girl (in the lingo of the time) could expect to get. Imogen encouraging her, boosting her, being there for her as she worked through anxiety and internalized misogyny and pursued her dreams of life in the newspaper world, was just a balm.
But then what? I didn't feel Joan got the spotlight enough as time went by...and that is down, again, to the format chosen to tell the story. But it felt unfinished as it was, with a too-short third-person wrap-up for Joan, too. Not because it wasn't a complete story! Because there was more story I wanted. Another quarter star forgone for expectations raised but not quite met.
When we return to epistolary format in Part III, the magic's worn off...the sweet, nostalgic sense of familiarity at a safe remove isn't there any more. But that isn't a deal-breaker so much as the force of the narrative doesn't have a chance to recover, so the half-star goes because, for the very first time, I noticed myself noticing I wasn't as ensorcelled as I started the read being. (Maybe if the third-person narratives had been diary entries...? I am Monday-morning quarterbacking here, so I'll stop.)
What I'll end on is the sheer pleasure of reading that this one-sitting tale offered. I think any book group that needs to lighten the tone and pick up the pace after a tough read should get this book onto their lists ASAP. I think pandemic-weary people whose lives have shifted into a new configuration through discovering food and cooking would like this for a February Sunday afternoon's pleasure. Most of all, I want to assure anyone thinking "this old man's a nutbar for pushing the read at me with this 3-3/4-star rating" is correct. This old man is, in fact, a nutbar. And one whose purpose it is to tell you what's worth reading.
This is worth reading.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: First, read this:
We’ve never had mussels before. I’ve always thought of them as freeloaders clinging where they’re not wanted, and you must agree, their beards are unappetizing.
–and–
Our ten days in Paris felt like the blink of an eye. Or a dream. An elegant, buttery, wine-soaked dream.
–and–
When a new experience comes into my life, it doesn’t feel real anymore until I share it with you.
I'll be honest: I asked for this DRC because the subtitle uses the series (or Oxford) comma correctly, which is as promising a start as I can conjure in these degenerate punctuation-heretical times, and the tale is told in epistolary format. I am in the mood for a story of friendship. I am always gruntled by the effective use of epistolary storytelling. And I deeply love reading about people sharing their love of food.
You'll be looking up at that not-quite-four-star rating about now. I can explain.
All of my initial conditions were met, and met fully. I got the epistolary format used well: These are friends by post. There are gaps, lacunae in communicating with each other, and that enables the author to move the pace along in a more natural way. The fact that each letter was a crafted document, a thing one sat down to make and to serve a purpose...evoking in the friend an emotional response...that requires thought. Attention. Serious choice-making. That was evident in the prose (see above).
In Part I, the friendship developed from an initial fan letter that touched Imogen, the recipient, because of its inclusion of a packet of saffron. Now's the time to talk about the 1960s in the USA. As the world is now, a packet of saffron is a welcome gift because it's not cheap. As the world was then, a gift of a narwhal tusk would have about the same impact as saffron. "Whatinahell's that?" Imogen, who can dig clams or hunt an elk, hasn't tasted fresh garlic. In her life. Imagine the impact of SAFFRON! And no, those under 50, this wasn't in the least bit unusual.
I grew up in a household that had WAY more in the way of culinary adventurousness than the average. My parents were older when I was born, we lived near San Francisco, California, which had Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Japanese cuisines and ingredients all over, and my mother loved to experiment with weird, Gourmet-magazine type dishes. (Tuesday dinner, not so much. Feasts, though....) Then my mother and I moved to South Texas, where she hailed from, and I found the goddesses' natural food: Tex-Mex. BUT no one in 1967 Mercedes, Texas, had ever seen a fresh apricot or tasted General Tso's chicken. And that is where I can relate to this story: Joan is possessed of knowledge that Imogen simply doesn't have, or have any way to know she lacks.
So this cultural exchange is one I loved reading about. The historical moment...Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK assassination, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan ("a rrrrrrilllllly big shew!")...was the background of my childhood. They write to each other about it all. They write to each other about their cooking adventures. Single Joan has a lot to offer long-married Imogen because she (figuratively) listens and isn't invested in a particular outcome. What Imogen offers Joan is the simple, invaluable resource of being older, and experienced, and generous with her time, too. In a long novella/short novel, the two forge a perfectly balanced and genuinely moving friendship.
And now about those missing stars.
I am not nit-picking when I say that a book with the delicious recipes in it that this book has (the carne asada!!) needs to hyperlink them somewhere. I don't have a final copy, of course, but the paper copies don't appear to have an index either. (This is as of 6 February 2022, 6pm EST, when I went trolling for reviews last.) Yes yes yes, one can highlight them on the Kindle, but this is an oversight that would make the book even better if it were addressed. There's one quarter star.
Francis, Imogen's husband, blossoming into a passionate foodie during the course of the correspondence is a pleasure, insofar as it's presented to us...but Imogen is reporting it, of course, as it's an epistolary novel between Joan and herself. It's a feature, not a bug; but it left me feeling distanced from Imogen's lived life. I don't think this was a deal-breaker because epistolary...it's in the description...but I do think its impact on Imogen wasn't able to be explored quite as well as would've served the tale told. A quarter-star, and a sigh of regret for a too-short third-person catch-up in Part II.
Joan's life as a secretary at Rexall Drugs was, of course, the kind of job a girl (in the lingo of the time) could expect to get. Imogen encouraging her, boosting her, being there for her as she worked through anxiety and internalized misogyny and pursued her dreams of life in the newspaper world, was just a balm.
But then what? I didn't feel Joan got the spotlight enough as time went by...and that is down, again, to the format chosen to tell the story. But it felt unfinished as it was, with a too-short third-person wrap-up for Joan, too. Not because it wasn't a complete story! Because there was more story I wanted. Another quarter star forgone for expectations raised but not quite met.
When we return to epistolary format in Part III, the magic's worn off...the sweet, nostalgic sense of familiarity at a safe remove isn't there any more. But that isn't a deal-breaker so much as the force of the narrative doesn't have a chance to recover, so the half-star goes because, for the very first time, I noticed myself noticing I wasn't as ensorcelled as I started the read being. (Maybe if the third-person narratives had been diary entries...? I am Monday-morning quarterbacking here, so I'll stop.)
What I'll end on is the sheer pleasure of reading that this one-sitting tale offered. I think any book group that needs to lighten the tone and pick up the pace after a tough read should get this book onto their lists ASAP. I think pandemic-weary people whose lives have shifted into a new configuration through discovering food and cooking would like this for a February Sunday afternoon's pleasure. Most of all, I want to assure anyone thinking "this old man's a nutbar for pushing the read at me with this 3-3/4-star rating" is correct. This old man is, in fact, a nutbar. And one whose purpose it is to tell you what's worth reading.
This is worth reading.
August 5, 2025
Yum. Can you smell the flavors?
Time: 1960s. It starts with an unexpected fan letter and a gift of saffron. And before you know it a correspondence and friendship is formed.
Joan is 27, single and open to experience. And food. Imogene (Immy) is 59, has been married for 40 years and has never flown anywhere. Joan loves Imogene’s stories of life on Camano Island off the Washington State Coast which she reads about in her column that is specific to Pacific Northwest readers. The only thing is, Joan lives in LA.
But…That doesn’t stop Joan from writing her a letter and sending her gift to Immy.
Soon…Despite their differences in ages and experiences, they begin writing regularly in letters which starts out politely talking about everyday matters and morphs into more intimate conversations that leads to a budding friendship.
The beauty of setting the book in the 1960’s is the freedom of creating a story devoid of today’s technology. It feels more personable. Even with phones, back in the 1960’s you couldn’t count on calls going through readily, and in those days, they were considered “long distance.”
And…Could be considered terribly expensive.
So…Written communication being the norm, we can count on letters that take days or weeks before the next arrival. There is something intimate and exciting as we wait for the next one – books loved, a recipe to experience, family history to share. The two are bonding in their own way. Their friendship is forming.
And…Readers are treated to the beauty of Joan and Immy and how their friendship nurtures their lives in so many different ways.
This is a novel filled with feelings. It is gentle and nourishing. Embodied with smells and tastes and the reminder that there is something special and vital about female friendship.
Be sure and read the Author’s note at the end. She also shares an imagined Imogen’s column for October 1962, a discussion about ‘a meal with Joan and Immy’ and some recipes in the back – which is that meal!
Time: 1960s. It starts with an unexpected fan letter and a gift of saffron. And before you know it a correspondence and friendship is formed.
Joan is 27, single and open to experience. And food. Imogene (Immy) is 59, has been married for 40 years and has never flown anywhere. Joan loves Imogene’s stories of life on Camano Island off the Washington State Coast which she reads about in her column that is specific to Pacific Northwest readers. The only thing is, Joan lives in LA.
But…That doesn’t stop Joan from writing her a letter and sending her gift to Immy.
Soon…Despite their differences in ages and experiences, they begin writing regularly in letters which starts out politely talking about everyday matters and morphs into more intimate conversations that leads to a budding friendship.
The beauty of setting the book in the 1960’s is the freedom of creating a story devoid of today’s technology. It feels more personable. Even with phones, back in the 1960’s you couldn’t count on calls going through readily, and in those days, they were considered “long distance.”
And…Could be considered terribly expensive.
So…Written communication being the norm, we can count on letters that take days or weeks before the next arrival. There is something intimate and exciting as we wait for the next one – books loved, a recipe to experience, family history to share. The two are bonding in their own way. Their friendship is forming.
And…Readers are treated to the beauty of Joan and Immy and how their friendship nurtures their lives in so many different ways.
This is a novel filled with feelings. It is gentle and nourishing. Embodied with smells and tastes and the reminder that there is something special and vital about female friendship.
Be sure and read the Author’s note at the end. She also shares an imagined Imogen’s column for October 1962, a discussion about ‘a meal with Joan and Immy’ and some recipes in the back – which is that meal!
November 15, 2021
To read this book you will need:
1) A free afternoon or morning or evening
2) Something delicious to snack on (reading this on an empty stomach is ill advised as without easy access to sustenance, you will need to stop reading as the food descriptions will engender immediate and extreme hunger)
3) A nice cup of tea/coffee/espresso/something stronger to sip
4) A box of tissues
With these ingredients to hand you will find yourself whisked back to the 1960s and into the embrace of an affecting epistolary friendship that embraces the discovery of life, love and food. I haven't read as satisfying novel in letters since 84 Charing Cross Road!
1) A free afternoon or morning or evening
2) Something delicious to snack on (reading this on an empty stomach is ill advised as without easy access to sustenance, you will need to stop reading as the food descriptions will engender immediate and extreme hunger)
3) A nice cup of tea/coffee/espresso/something stronger to sip
4) A box of tissues
With these ingredients to hand you will find yourself whisked back to the 1960s and into the embrace of an affecting epistolary friendship that embraces the discovery of life, love and food. I haven't read as satisfying novel in letters since 84 Charing Cross Road!
September 25, 2024
5 ⭐
“The less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be.”
• It made me feel comforted, nostalgic, in awe, and very hungry
• Filled with the beauty of friendship, tenderhearted love, some US history, gratitude for the little things, two women in love with life and food, the slightly sweet scent of saffron
• It made me want to buy a typewriter, go on the hunt for Mexican oregano, enjoy a home cooked meal with loved ones, book a trip to the PNW
• Search "Oldies playing in another room and it's raining" on YouTube for the perfectly paired reading vibe
• Listen to The End of the World by Skeeter Davis after the last page
• If this book was a food/drink, it would be Joan's Quesadillas, with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, green chiles, thinly sliced onion and grated Cotija cheese for sprinkling, to be enjoyed with a beloved friend and late night chats
Good for book club - possibly! It's very short, but would be so fun to read the book and bring a dish inspired by Joan or Imogen
Good as a gift - Yes! Especially for your foodie friends
Should I get the physical copy - Yes!
What season should I read it in - the dog days of summer, early to mid fall, but really anytime
Audiobook narration - 5/5
“The less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be.”
• It made me feel comforted, nostalgic, in awe, and very hungry
• Filled with the beauty of friendship, tenderhearted love, some US history, gratitude for the little things, two women in love with life and food, the slightly sweet scent of saffron
• It made me want to buy a typewriter, go on the hunt for Mexican oregano, enjoy a home cooked meal with loved ones, book a trip to the PNW
• Search "Oldies playing in another room and it's raining" on YouTube for the perfectly paired reading vibe
• Listen to The End of the World by Skeeter Davis after the last page
• If this book was a food/drink, it would be Joan's Quesadillas, with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, green chiles, thinly sliced onion and grated Cotija cheese for sprinkling, to be enjoyed with a beloved friend and late night chats
Good for book club - possibly! It's very short, but would be so fun to read the book and bring a dish inspired by Joan or Imogen
Good as a gift - Yes! Especially for your foodie friends
Should I get the physical copy - Yes!
What season should I read it in - the dog days of summer, early to mid fall, but really anytime
Audiobook narration - 5/5
May 20, 2025
Well, I loved Love & Saffron, a story of friendship in the form of an epistolary novel. Joan and Imogen initially connect over a shared interest in cooking but their correspondence quickly evolves. It’s the 1960s, they both live on the West coast, and despite being in different stages of life, the two women become fast friends.
”There is unequaled satisfaction in composing words on a blank page, sealing them in an envelope, writing an address in my own messy hand, adding a stamp, walking it to the mailbox, and raising the flag. It’s like preparing a gift, and I feel like I receive one when a letter arrives—yours most of all.”
”When shall we live, if not now?” — Seneca
Love & Saffron was sweet, thoughtful, and at
times, pretty funny. I really liked this book, one that’s a great reminder of friendship and even though I wanted to savor the story, I read it quickly due to sheer enjoyment.
”There is unequaled satisfaction in composing words on a blank page, sealing them in an envelope, writing an address in my own messy hand, adding a stamp, walking it to the mailbox, and raising the flag. It’s like preparing a gift, and I feel like I receive one when a letter arrives—yours most of all.”
”When shall we live, if not now?” — Seneca
Love & Saffron was sweet, thoughtful, and at
times, pretty funny. I really liked this book, one that’s a great reminder of friendship and even though I wanted to savor the story, I read it quickly due to sheer enjoyment.
April 26, 2022
The reviewers who compared this to 84 Charing Cross were not wrong. Two women begin a correspondence in 1962, sharing food and recipes at first, then moving on to a friendship important to both of them. At just 200 pages, this little book is a great one for a quick escape from heavier reads, kids, husbands, housework, any reason at all.
October 29, 2023
A lovely book, told in epistolery form about friendship and food. Joan sends a fan letter to food columnist Imogen Fortier and a friendship is born. I liked that this takes place in the early 1960s. A lot is shared between the friends about what was going on at that time in history. This is a sweet, gentle story that can be read in one sitting.
April 20, 2022
This slender book is about a close friendship that forms between two women based upon their exchange of letters. Joan is 27 years old and is most interested in discovering and writing about foods from different cultures (mostly Mexican) in her native Los Angeles. Imogene (Immy) is 59 years old, married and lives on Camano Island near Seattle. She writes a humorous column about her day to day life on the island. Joan's first letter to Immy is a fan letter about her column. Included in the letter is a gift of a new spice - saffron. Historical personalities and events of the time period, the early 1960's, are sprinkled into the story.
In reading the book, I stepped into a time warp where letters were more common than not and women's roles were on the cusp of changing. American food excluded all other nationalities. Julia Child had just started her t.v. show called 'The French Chef'. Both Joan and Immy are intent on exploring foods that are new to them. As time goes by, they share parts of themselves in the letters that are unknown to others in their lives.
Recommended for readers who are in the mood for a quiet, reflective book and who like food writing. For whatever reason, I found the story to be interesting, but less absorbing than others that I have recently read. I felt at an arm's length from the characters.
Content Warning: Cancer
Additional: Coincidentally, I read this while watching a series about Julia Child on HBO Max.
In reading the book, I stepped into a time warp where letters were more common than not and women's roles were on the cusp of changing. American food excluded all other nationalities. Julia Child had just started her t.v. show called 'The French Chef'. Both Joan and Immy are intent on exploring foods that are new to them. As time goes by, they share parts of themselves in the letters that are unknown to others in their lives.
Recommended for readers who are in the mood for a quiet, reflective book and who like food writing. For whatever reason, I found the story to be interesting, but less absorbing than others that I have recently read. I felt at an arm's length from the characters.
Content Warning: Cancer
Additional: Coincidentally, I read this while watching a series about Julia Child on HBO Max.
April 26, 2022
I just loved this book! What a delightful, heart touching story that just makes you feel warm and cozy all over. Now, before you read this book, cook a very big meal and grab a box of tissues. The food in this book is beyond delicious and mouth watering. I constantly wanted to set the book down and go try the recipes! I'm an old soul for hand written letters and loved the beautiful friendship that developed between Joan and Immy through their letters. It makes you miss the days when we didn't have so much technology.
This is a captivating story about food, friendship, family, love, cooking, strong women and loss. It's entertaining, enchanting and overall a very enjoyable read that I highly recommend.
My thanks to Kim Fay, G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a captivating story about food, friendship, family, love, cooking, strong women and loss. It's entertaining, enchanting and overall a very enjoyable read that I highly recommend.
My thanks to Kim Fay, G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2022
2.5 stars
This darling little book is as delightful as its size and title suggest. I've heard it described as 84, Charing Cross Road but with more focus on food. Love & Saffron is an epistolary novel that showcases the start of a lovely friendship between Joan Bergstrom, age 27, and Imogen Fortier, age 59.
Joan writes to Imogen as a fan of her monthly column that is featured in a Pacific Northwest magazine and, includes in her initial letter, a gift of saffron. As the correspondence continues, the friendship between the two women grows. It's not long before Joan and Imogen are beyond simple recipe and food talk — partly catapulted into a more vulnerable state because of the Cuban Missile Crisis at the start of their letters that then is followed, just over a year later, by the assassination of President Kennedy.
While they do end up sharing intimate facts with each other, the language never evolved into a true feeling of intimacy. I felt that Joan and Imogen continued to stand just a space behind true openness — something that made me feel the author (rather than the characters) more and more as the book continued. Perhaps Fay had settled on a more formal-sounding level of communication for the time period and found it hard to give these two women a more casual voice (Joan more so than Imogen), but regardless it affected my ability to consider the two fully-fleshed out, knowable characters beyond the page and their letters.
All in all, a sweet and refreshing book of female friendship.
This darling little book is as delightful as its size and title suggest. I've heard it described as 84, Charing Cross Road but with more focus on food. Love & Saffron is an epistolary novel that showcases the start of a lovely friendship between Joan Bergstrom, age 27, and Imogen Fortier, age 59.
Joan writes to Imogen as a fan of her monthly column that is featured in a Pacific Northwest magazine and, includes in her initial letter, a gift of saffron. As the correspondence continues, the friendship between the two women grows. It's not long before Joan and Imogen are beyond simple recipe and food talk — partly catapulted into a more vulnerable state because of the Cuban Missile Crisis at the start of their letters that then is followed, just over a year later, by the assassination of President Kennedy.
While they do end up sharing intimate facts with each other, the language never evolved into a true feeling of intimacy. I felt that Joan and Imogen continued to stand just a space behind true openness — something that made me feel the author (rather than the characters) more and more as the book continued. Perhaps Fay had settled on a more formal-sounding level of communication for the time period and found it hard to give these two women a more casual voice (Joan more so than Imogen), but regardless it affected my ability to consider the two fully-fleshed out, knowable characters beyond the page and their letters.
All in all, a sweet and refreshing book of female friendship.
February 28, 2022
After fan Joan pens a letter to columnist Imogen, an unexpected and meaningful friendship blooms.
This was my 21st book of 2022, and my first 5 star rating! I devoured it in a single day, and I recommend you do the same. With an abundance of food references and recipes, you'll definitely want snacks and probably a glass of wine too. Told in an epistolary format, this is a powerful story about friendship, love, and trust. I felt like I was secretly reading over their shoulders and watching their friendship blossom as 27 year old Joan and 59 year old Imogen share anecdotes and learn more about each other and their families. Additionally, the 1960 references were plentiful, and I noted the following: Kennedy's assassination, Julia Child, the Beatles, traveler's checks, Johnny Carson, female authors Helen Gurley Brown and Joan Didion, etc. Since I've exchanged handwritten letters with friends over the years (and found an incredible friend in an online book group), this story truly touched my heart while also proving that food brings people together in more ways than one!
Location: 1962 Los Angeles, CA and Washington
I received an advance copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
This was my 21st book of 2022, and my first 5 star rating! I devoured it in a single day, and I recommend you do the same. With an abundance of food references and recipes, you'll definitely want snacks and probably a glass of wine too. Told in an epistolary format, this is a powerful story about friendship, love, and trust. I felt like I was secretly reading over their shoulders and watching their friendship blossom as 27 year old Joan and 59 year old Imogen share anecdotes and learn more about each other and their families. Additionally, the 1960 references were plentiful, and I noted the following: Kennedy's assassination, Julia Child, the Beatles, traveler's checks, Johnny Carson, female authors Helen Gurley Brown and Joan Didion, etc. Since I've exchanged handwritten letters with friends over the years (and found an incredible friend in an online book group), this story truly touched my heart while also proving that food brings people together in more ways than one!
Location: 1962 Los Angeles, CA and Washington
I received an advance copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
November 16, 2021
It's not even 2022 and I know this book will be short listed on my annual favorites list for next year! It's as if Ruth Reichl and Laurie Colwin wrote 84 Charing Cross and I'm here for it! I adored the muligenerational friendships, delicious food descriptions, people embarking on a new path in their autumn years, a refreshingly kind glimpse at humanity, and epistolary construction. I want to hug this book and give it to all my friends!
February 15, 2022
I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Love & Saffron is the story of two women, Imogen and Joan, who begin exchanging letters due to a mutual love for cooking and cuisine. They describe their culinary adventures while detailing updates in their lives, career news and romance, and the friendships they've begun with people they meet on their hunt for new recipes.
While I appreciate the concept, and while I do think the visuals in this book are lovely, this was not the book for me.
I understand that this book is aiming to capture the inner lives of women in the 60's, however they're just not the type of women that I'm interested in reading about. I feel that this story has been told time and time again, and frankly it was uncomfortable to read. The two main characters are white, (upper) middle class women, and every side character described is a person of color used as a plot device to further the emotional and culinary enlightenment of these women.
It may be an odd parallel to make, but the entirety of this book reminds me of the scene in Alice Pung's Lucy and Linh where Lucy's white classmate's mother insistently invites her to teach her and her friends how to cook Vietnamese food (despite her actually being Chinese), which caused obvious discomfort to Lucy and put her in an awkward position. I can only imagine this is how every side character in Love & Saffron felt.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I know what it's like to be treated like a cultural specimen and, even with the best of intentions, it is uncomfortable.
To avoid ranting, I'm going to end my review here.
I understand that this story has good intentions, and I appreciate the love of cuisine that the characters have, however, this is not something that I would seek out knowing what I know now, nor would I recommend it.
Love & Saffron is the story of two women, Imogen and Joan, who begin exchanging letters due to a mutual love for cooking and cuisine. They describe their culinary adventures while detailing updates in their lives, career news and romance, and the friendships they've begun with people they meet on their hunt for new recipes.
While I appreciate the concept, and while I do think the visuals in this book are lovely, this was not the book for me.
I understand that this book is aiming to capture the inner lives of women in the 60's, however they're just not the type of women that I'm interested in reading about. I feel that this story has been told time and time again, and frankly it was uncomfortable to read. The two main characters are white, (upper) middle class women, and every side character described is a person of color used as a plot device to further the emotional and culinary enlightenment of these women.
It may be an odd parallel to make, but the entirety of this book reminds me of the scene in Alice Pung's Lucy and Linh where Lucy's white classmate's mother insistently invites her to teach her and her friends how to cook Vietnamese food (despite her actually being Chinese), which caused obvious discomfort to Lucy and put her in an awkward position. I can only imagine this is how every side character in Love & Saffron felt.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I know what it's like to be treated like a cultural specimen and, even with the best of intentions, it is uncomfortable.
To avoid ranting, I'm going to end my review here.
I understand that this story has good intentions, and I appreciate the love of cuisine that the characters have, however, this is not something that I would seek out knowing what I know now, nor would I recommend it.
December 8, 2021
This book is simply wonderful! The feelings and memories that I experienced while reading this book has left me with happy tears in my eyes! The book reminded me of my mom and the many hours that she would spend writing letters to family and friends.
The book is made up letters between two strangers, one from Washington state and the other from Los Angeles during the 1960's. The friendship that they form and is able to maintain through the years is just so satisfying. They share with each other their love of food and family and well just so much more.
All you need is a few hours to read this wonderful book and I have no doubt that you will be just as touched as I was.
Many thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this advanced readers copy. This book is scheduled to release February 8, 2022.
The book is made up letters between two strangers, one from Washington state and the other from Los Angeles during the 1960's. The friendship that they form and is able to maintain through the years is just so satisfying. They share with each other their love of food and family and well just so much more.
All you need is a few hours to read this wonderful book and I have no doubt that you will be just as touched as I was.
Many thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this advanced readers copy. This book is scheduled to release February 8, 2022.
July 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An absolutely delightful read.
An absolutely delightful read.
October 27, 2021
My thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love.
What a beautiful and heart-touching book. Who knew that a simple fan letter, with a packet of saffron enclosed, could lead to friendship?? This book consists of letters back and forth between the two women who became friends as a result of that initial fan letter. The more I read, the more I found myself caring for them as they became more like sisters than friends. I also found myself drooling a bit over the food descriptions and recipes they shared with each other! It was an interesting step back in time to the early 1960s, as well.
Love and Saffron is a reminder that food and friendship are the antidotes to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating. Wonderful book!
What a beautiful and heart-touching book. Who knew that a simple fan letter, with a packet of saffron enclosed, could lead to friendship?? This book consists of letters back and forth between the two women who became friends as a result of that initial fan letter. The more I read, the more I found myself caring for them as they became more like sisters than friends. I also found myself drooling a bit over the food descriptions and recipes they shared with each other! It was an interesting step back in time to the early 1960s, as well.
Love and Saffron is a reminder that food and friendship are the antidotes to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating. Wonderful book!
February 20, 2022
Oh so short and oh so special ~ what an epistolary delight ❤️
May 27, 2022
I did not realize this was fiction until I actually started reading the book, but I found it very enjoyable regardless! As the author says in her ending notes "As I was working on Love & Saffron, I wanted it to be a book that could be read and savored in one nourishing sitting." Worked out perfectly!
July 17, 2024
Loved this sweet book that centers around food and friendship.
February 9, 2022
Favorite Quotes:
I have simply always had an interest in people from other countries. I like the way their kitchens smell.
I have no idea what to do with Sex and the Single Girl. The girls at the paper are chirping with excitement about it. I find it embarrassing. I do not like the presumption that there is only one way for me to be an unmarried, twenty-seven-year-old female. Apparently, I should aspire to something called a “sexth sense,” and places where I should make an effort to meet eligible men include Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. As if I have any interest in spending my life drinking Chablis alone.
The world is big, small, and gloriously astonishing all at once!
That is the first time I have written his name in my own hand. It makes my heart feel as vulnerable as a dandelion in a windstorm.
I felt thoroughly uncultured as we walked through the Huntington galleries. She knows so much about art. And I didn’t dare open my mouth when she played her opera records. Don’t tell her, but it sounded to me like a box of howling cats.
My Review:
This was a quick, gentle, slow and easy, relaxing, thoughtfully written, delightfully amusing, and engaging read that tapped all the feels in the best way possible. The writing was easy to fall into while poignant, historically accurate, and heart-squeezing. The writing was honest and truly moving while a supportive relationship was developing between two women through their pen and paper correspondence over food that spanned several years and only one face-to-face meeting. The women easily established a bond that allowed them to freely expose their innermost fears and bare themselves on paper as they could to no one else in their lives. Their words plumbed all the feels and put hot rocks in my throat and stung my eyes as well as lifted my spirits. Kim Fay has gifted us with a tasty treat and a delicious tale for all the senses.
I have simply always had an interest in people from other countries. I like the way their kitchens smell.
I have no idea what to do with Sex and the Single Girl. The girls at the paper are chirping with excitement about it. I find it embarrassing. I do not like the presumption that there is only one way for me to be an unmarried, twenty-seven-year-old female. Apparently, I should aspire to something called a “sexth sense,” and places where I should make an effort to meet eligible men include Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. As if I have any interest in spending my life drinking Chablis alone.
The world is big, small, and gloriously astonishing all at once!
That is the first time I have written his name in my own hand. It makes my heart feel as vulnerable as a dandelion in a windstorm.
I felt thoroughly uncultured as we walked through the Huntington galleries. She knows so much about art. And I didn’t dare open my mouth when she played her opera records. Don’t tell her, but it sounded to me like a box of howling cats.
My Review:
This was a quick, gentle, slow and easy, relaxing, thoughtfully written, delightfully amusing, and engaging read that tapped all the feels in the best way possible. The writing was easy to fall into while poignant, historically accurate, and heart-squeezing. The writing was honest and truly moving while a supportive relationship was developing between two women through their pen and paper correspondence over food that spanned several years and only one face-to-face meeting. The women easily established a bond that allowed them to freely expose their innermost fears and bare themselves on paper as they could to no one else in their lives. Their words plumbed all the feels and put hot rocks in my throat and stung my eyes as well as lifted my spirits. Kim Fay has gifted us with a tasty treat and a delicious tale for all the senses.
April 22, 2022
Charing Cross, but make it delicious. Heartwarming and delightful. This is a keeper.
November 11, 2021
My thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love.
What a touching story written in epistolary format. Set during the sixties, a young woman sends a fan letter to a small town columnist with a packet of saffron enclosed. This evolves into a life long friendship as they discover their mutual love of food and family. As we watch their relationship grow and blossom over time, it is a joy to savor their letters. The writing is exquisite without being too over the top. The two friends share not just recipes but laughter and love as well as hope and healing. It was such a sweet and genuine book. I was sad to see it end.
5*
What a touching story written in epistolary format. Set during the sixties, a young woman sends a fan letter to a small town columnist with a packet of saffron enclosed. This evolves into a life long friendship as they discover their mutual love of food and family. As we watch their relationship grow and blossom over time, it is a joy to savor their letters. The writing is exquisite without being too over the top. The two friends share not just recipes but laughter and love as well as hope and healing. It was such a sweet and genuine book. I was sad to see it end.
5*
February 26, 2022
This was an absolutely lovely book. In the early 1960s, Joan Bergstrom writes a letter to a magazine columnist - Imogene Fortier. Imogene writes back, and a beautiful friendship is begun. Almost the entire book is told via letters, as the two women share their thoughts about current events, stories about their lives, and their food explorations.
Two of my favorite quotes: "The world is big, small, and gloriously astonishing all at once!" and "The less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be."
I grew to love each of these women, and the family and friends they described in their letters. This is a book I will recommend to friends and family, and one I will certainly read again.
Thanks to netgalley, Kim Fay, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for letting me read this great story.
Two of my favorite quotes: "The world is big, small, and gloriously astonishing all at once!" and "The less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be."
I grew to love each of these women, and the family and friends they described in their letters. This is a book I will recommend to friends and family, and one I will certainly read again.
Thanks to netgalley, Kim Fay, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for letting me read this great story.
February 10, 2023
Love & Saffron provided me with the joyful experience of picking up a book expecting one thing and then getting so much more.
This is a beautiful story of the importance of female friendship and their ability to support, encourage, inspire, and challenge us.
This is a beautiful story of the importance of female friendship and their ability to support, encourage, inspire, and challenge us.
January 15, 2024
Who knew that something as simple as a spice could loosen the knots in a man's heart? My apron did not survive, but who cares? I'll be forever grateful for your miraculous gift of Far East saffron.
З перших сторінок у нас сталася любов. Цей ніжний роман про дружбу та те, як людей об’єднує їжа — ось чого потребувала моя зголодніла душа на початку року! Мене заінтригувала назва, а в результаті я отримала зворушливу та натхненну історію епістолярного жанру про двох прекрасних жінок які обмінюються рецептами (і не тільки!).
There is unequaled satisfaction in composing words on a blank page, sealing them in an envelope, writing an address in my own messy hand, adding a stamp, walking it to the mailbox, and raising the flag. It's like preparing a gift, and I feel like I receive one when a letter arrives yours most of all.
Все починається з подарованого екзотичного шафрану і призводить до міцної дружби між 27-літньою Джоаною, яка ще шукає своє справжнє покликання, та 59-літньою Імоджен, яка є авторкою відомої газетної колонки. Їхні листи сповнені теплоти, дотепностей, відкриттів нових смаків та страв, описів місцевих ринків, вражень від Парижу, згадок відомих постатей/авторів (Анджело Пелегріні, Джоан Дідіон) та персональних переживань, котрі випадають на їхню долю. Впродовж років вони ненавмисно трансформують одна одну і ще раз доводять те, наскільки жінкам потрібні жінки.
To think we are made up of so many different layers, and we may never meet all of them before the big sleep. I have been thinking about your comment, about how when we are very young we are so sure of who we are. I admit, there have been times when I longed to be fifteen again, confident that I knew absolutely everything about myself. But I prefer the viewpoint you have been pondering since Francis's encounter with the saffron. The less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be. This seems to be something deeper than curiosity or being open to new things.
P.S. Хоч і роман про жіночу дружбу, проте мені припав до серця Френсіс також.
P.P.S. Те що треба спробувати:
For the fennel seeds, you can warm them in honey and drizzle this mixture on sliced pears caramelized in butter. I like to add a hint of Parmesan on top.
They sent us home with a warm loaf of bread, a hunk of parmesan cheese, and a bottle of wine. We were instructed to enjoy it for lunch, with absolutely_nothing _else.
З перших сторінок у нас сталася любов. Цей ніжний роман про дружбу та те, як людей об’єднує їжа — ось чого потребувала моя зголодніла душа на початку року! Мене заінтригувала назва, а в результаті я отримала зворушливу та натхненну історію епістолярного жанру про двох прекрасних жінок які обмінюються рецептами (і не тільки!).
There is unequaled satisfaction in composing words on a blank page, sealing them in an envelope, writing an address in my own messy hand, adding a stamp, walking it to the mailbox, and raising the flag. It's like preparing a gift, and I feel like I receive one when a letter arrives yours most of all.
Все починається з подарованого екзотичного шафрану і призводить до міцної дружби між 27-літньою Джоаною, яка ще шукає своє справжнє покликання, та 59-літньою Імоджен, яка є авторкою відомої газетної колонки. Їхні листи сповнені теплоти, дотепностей, відкриттів нових смаків та страв, описів місцевих ринків, вражень від Парижу, згадок відомих постатей/авторів (Анджело Пелегріні, Джоан Дідіон) та персональних переживань, котрі випадають на їхню долю. Впродовж років вони ненавмисно трансформують одна одну і ще раз доводять те, наскільки жінкам потрібні жінки.
To think we are made up of so many different layers, and we may never meet all of them before the big sleep. I have been thinking about your comment, about how when we are very young we are so sure of who we are. I admit, there have been times when I longed to be fifteen again, confident that I knew absolutely everything about myself. But I prefer the viewpoint you have been pondering since Francis's encounter with the saffron. The less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be. This seems to be something deeper than curiosity or being open to new things.
P.S. Хоч і роман про жіночу дружбу, проте мені припав до серця Френсіс також.
P.P.S. Те що треба спробувати:
For the fennel seeds, you can warm them in honey and drizzle this mixture on sliced pears caramelized in butter. I like to add a hint of Parmesan on top.
They sent us home with a warm loaf of bread, a hunk of parmesan cheese, and a bottle of wine. We were instructed to enjoy it for lunch, with absolutely_nothing _else.
September 30, 2024
This was so unexpectedly sweet and emotional?! What a sweet, sweet friendship between Joan and Imogen.
The best way to consume this one is on audio when you have an uninterrupted afternoon so you can enjoy it in one sitting.
The best way to consume this one is on audio when you have an uninterrupted afternoon so you can enjoy it in one sitting.
September 1, 2022
A darling and perfect read. I will be passing it on to my beautiful friend whom I have corresponded with for over 30 years. Like Immy and Joan we have shared personal secrets, helped each other through struggles and tragedy, sent each other recipes and cookbooks, spent weekends together cooking in the kitchen and have loved each other deeply through our decades long friendship. This book is a homage for me to this time tested friendship and all the light, love and frolicking fun it has brought me over the years!
November 14, 2021
Love & Saffron is the most perfect little novel. Heartfelt and charming with the most memorable characters. It just reaffirms the importance of connection and friendship and how it can impact your life. I loved the added element of recipes and food and how they connected all of the characters.
Kudos to Kim Fay for creating this treasure!
Kudos to Kim Fay for creating this treasure!
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