Critical Praise

"Delectable, brimming with good food, good music, good writing. I loved it. "

———Hisaye Yamamoto, author of Seventeen Syllables

"Sublime . . . Like the steakhouse where Emily works, which was built without a single nail, Esaki-Smith's first novel is a precisely constructed work of art, and your pleasure in discovering its multiple layers will have you singing her praises. "

———Newsday

"Heartfelt...will Pavarotti actually show up? The answer to this question is delightfully unexpected. "

———Publishers Weekly

"A richly textured tale of love, disappointment, family ties, and the ways in which our fantasies can sustain us . . . A charming debut. "

———Dani Shapiro, author of Slow Motion