Reviews with content warning for Death - Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love by Kim Fay

24 reviews

twistykris's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I simply adored this book. I read it in less than 24 hours and was absolutely enthralled by the soothing, comforting, and often funny letters these two women wrote each other. Lots of talks of food, friendship, and adventures. A wonderful palate cleanser and a quick, darling read that makes me want to cook and write letters to dear friends.

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bubblegirl858's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book captured me from the first page and kept me reading, laughing, and crying throughout the whole book. I cannot adequately express how much I enjoyed this book. It was a very short read, but it was able to so beautifully capture the lives of two women with real problems, living their lives to the fullest through food and connections. The author did such an amazing job developing their friendship through correspondence. I can understand how reading a story in letter form is not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed hearing the character's voices through the words that they wrote and exploring the culinary world with them through their letters to each other. If you don't finish this book wanting to move to a new city to start a garden, live off the land, and become an expert in a specific regional cooking style, then you have read it wrong. This book is about hope, joy, and the ability of people to change, and grow. It is about connecting to yourself, and to others, and finding new connections through food, which in my opinion is the best kind of book. This was set in the '60s with the main characters being two white women, and written in the early 2000s by a white woman, so there is one use of problematic language, descriptions of violent and tragic times in American history, and it exhibits very old-fashioned views on unwed women who are pregnant, that the main characters do not sympathize with, but just as a trigger warning for anyone reading.

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ashleegracexo's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really did love this book. I wanted to be friends with the main characters. The plot twist took me by surprise even though I knew it was coming really. Great book, I devoured it in a few hours. Only not 5 star because I wanted more!!!!!

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potterandpromises's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad

4.75

Love & Saffron is a wonderful, brief reprieve about food and long distance friendship, told almost entirely through letters. I listened to it on audiobook and the narration is great. If you’re a fast reader it could probably be read in one sitting and if you’re a slow reader I think it would be wonderful read letter by letter as well. One way or another, this is a book to savor.

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memazz's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring fast-paced

3.5

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sharonus's review

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emotional lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I’m not sure why but I’ve got a real soft spot for epistolary novels. Something about the way characters are able to carefully choose what to reveal about themselves? Or because I carried out a long distance friendship and a long distance romance via letter? No internet or cellphone back in the day. Whatever the reason I decided epistolary novels might be just the thing to lift me out of my recent despondent mood.

My first pick was Love & Saffron and it was exactly what I wanted and needed it to be. I loved the personalities of Joan and Imogen - jaunty, curious, vivacious and slightly snarky. In that regard it reminded me of a couple of my all time favourites - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and 84 Charing Cross Road. I loved the focus on intergenerational friendship. I loved that the two women shared book and food recommendations. As their friendship deepened their letters became more intimate and personal and they shared some of the tougher issues they were facing or had dealt with in their lives - an unplanned pregnancy, PTSD, an interracial relationship, cancer, infertility. This is a book that made me laugh, but it also made me cry. I loved it.

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nicolelovesbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.75

This was a delightful and quick read. I was immediately captivated by the epistolary banter between Joan and Imogen as their friendship grew. The food was a wonderful element in their letters and the story. The insights about the time period were very enlightening though not at all didactic.

Loved this line:
“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.”

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readingwithcats's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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eesti23's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

"'When shall we live, if not now?' Apparently, this is a quote from an ancient Roman named Seneca."

"The less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be."

Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love isn't a super long book, but it doesn't take you long to get to know Joan (27) and Imogen "Immy" (59) who become pen friends based on their love of food. Different in many ways, their

sharing of communal (Cuban missile crisis, assassination of JFK) and personal (unmarried pregnancy and cancer) experiences bond them for life. I loved when Immy went to see John (and Mateo) and Joan named her baby after Immy. There is a sad ending with a hint of happiness.

A touching story and sweet friendship. I enjoyed it.

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