A funny, bittersweet ode to the power of family bonds and the solace of good food.
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
A Novel with Recipes
Susan Gilbert-Collins
Touchstone / Simon & Schuster
$15.00 Trade Paperback
ISBN 13: 978-1-4391-4316-2
On Sale: August 3, 2010
In this heartwarming and honest debut novel, a grief-stricken daughter cooks herself and her family back to life, uncovering secrets both painful and joyous along the way. A wonderful book for book clubs and reading groups – especially those that also love family life and like great food!
Featured on Twin Cities Live “What to Read Next” on August 16!
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When her mother dies suddenly, just as she is defending her doctoral dissertation, Olivia Tschetter’s world falls apart. Upon returning home she must face her father and three older siblings, who, despite all she’s accomplished, continue to treat her like a child. Through her passion for cooking—a love she had shared with her mother—Olivia finally begins to confront her grief.
“Gilbert-Collins has an ear for the inflections and cadences of upper-midwestern speech, which adds to the book’s other charms.” — Booklist
“Take one part Jane Hamilton, one part Julie Powell, season liberally with originality, and you have STARTING FROM SCRATCH, the tender, humorous debut. Blowing away preconceptions about contemporary Midwesterners, this novel will be of particular interest to anyone who’s clashed with a sibling, mourned the passing of a parent or wondered, even in young adulthood, what they’re going to do when they grow up.” – Sally Koslow, author of Little Pink Slips and With Friends like These
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MBA BOOKSELLER INFORMATION
Booksellers — Earn up to $100 in rebates from MBA for promoting STARTING FROM SCRATCH!
Midwest Connections rebate form for STARTING FROM SCRATCH (PDF) - available now!
STARTING FROM SCRATCH is available from Touchstone /Simon & Schuster or from your preferred wholesaler. Be sure to contact the publisher for more information about this title.
A letter to MBA booksellers from Touchstone
If you are interested in scheduling an event, interview, or book club event or phoner with author Susan Gilbert-Collins, please contact Shida Carr in Touchstone Publicity, 212.698.4384, Shida.Carr@simonandschuster.com. Susan Gilbert-Collins does not live in the region, so she is available on only a limited basis.
MBA and Touchstone would love to have your comments and reviews for this Midwest Connections Pick. Please send them to us so we can share your endorsements with your fellow MBA booksellers and with your customers!
DOWNLOADS
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- Full-color sign/flyer (PDF)
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- Reading Group Guide / Q&A with Author (PDF)
- Author photo (JPG)
- Book cover photo (JPG)
- Midwest Connections rebate form for STARTING FROM SCRATCH (PDF)
- Midwest Connections Generic Display Materials
ABOUT THE BOOK
“What a wonderful story of familial love, loss, and the healing power of made-from-scratch food. I was completely absorbed by the lives of the Tschetter family, and I very much want to be invited to their house for dinner on a night when Olivia is cooking. Susan Gilbert-Collins has written a fantastic debut novel: warm, witty, and redemptive.” – Susan Rebecca White, author of A Soft Place to Land
Why is someone who just defended her doctoral dissertation still wasting her time at her childhood home, two months after her mother’s funeral, making coq au vin and osso buco? Olivia Tschetter, the youngest of four high-achieving South Dakotan siblings, is not returning to “normal”—or to graduate school— quickly enough to suit her family. She wants only to bury herself in her mother’s kitchen, finding solace in their shared passion for cooking.
Threatened with grief counseling, Olivia accepts a temporary position at the local Meals on Wheels, where she stumbles upon some unfinished business from her mother’s past—and a dark family secret. Startling announcements from two siblings also challenge the family’s status quo. The last thing she needs is a deepening romantic interest in a close but platonic (she thought) friend.
But while Olivia’s mother is gone, her memory and spirit continue to engage Olivia, who finds herself daring to speak when she would never have spoken before. Told with humor and compassion, Starting from Scratch explores the shifting of family dynamics in the wake of shattering loss and the healing power of cooking.
STARTING FROM SCRATCH not only gives insight into the grieving process itself, but also portrays a complex, realistic family dynamic. This moving novel resonates with anyone who has dealt or is dealing with loss. But surprisingly, it is also perfect for anyone who has a love and passion for food and family. Olivia uses both to help her cope with the loss of her mother. Whether she is cooking or meddling in family and friends’ lives, there is never a dull moment. From an unplanned pregnancy to a surprise marriage, a childhood secret to an unrequited love – this novel explores the many dimensions of life in a big family.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born and raised in South Dakota, Susan Gilbert-Collins studied English at Oberlin College and holds an M.A. in English as a Second Language from the University of Minnesota. While she enjoyed teaching international students and adult immigrants, she now freelances as a technical writer in order to focus on her first love, fiction. Susan was born and raised in South Dakota and now resides in Rochester, New York with her husband and son. This is her debut novel.
Here’s one of Susan Gilbert-Collins’ favorite recipes, too!
Cheddar Soup with Shredded Carrots and Potatoes
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Add 1/2 cup diced onion and 10 oz. shredded carrots and saute for several minutes. Sprinkle about 2 1/2 tablespoons flour over the onion and carrot and stir until blended.
Add 6 cups chicken broth, 1 pound shredded potatoes, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1/8 tsp. Tabasco (or more to taste), 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (or more to taste), 1/2 tsp. sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer until veggies are tender.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups half and half (or milk). Remove pot from burner and cool for 1 minute. Add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
- Note: You can play with the amount of flour you add. A little more results in a thicker soup.
