Maggie McElroy, a widowed American food writer, is stunned by a call informing her of a paternity claim against her late husband – in Beijing. Immersing herself in work has helped her deal with her grief, so she is distressed when she tells her editor she will need to be gone for several weeks. But her editor assigns Maggie to write an article about Sam Liang, a Chinese-American, who has returned to Beijing to open a new restaurant, paying homage to the grand tradition of famous chefs of the imperial era.
Maggie is a woman consumed by grief, surviving in a bubble of memories that has just been shattered. Did she really know her husband? How could he have fathered this child, AND kept it a secret from her? Dealing with such a claim would be difficult and trying enough in America, but now she is in a city where she does not understand the language or customs, and must rely on strangers to help her. Her planned article on Sam Liang is the only area where she can feel somewhat normal as a journalist. They are both surprised to find in one another an ally and friend.

Mones deftly combines Sam’s story with Maggie’s, and with the tradition and history of Chinese cuisine, and philosophy. The descriptions of the menus and dishes are a sensory feast of tastes, sounds, smells, textures, and visual images. Just as much attention is paid to developing these characters; Mones reveals them a little at a time allowing the reader to get to know them as they deal with various disappointments and unexpected joys. Take your time reading it – savor every page

This is a book about a family of chefs who cook amazing food. When a gourmet food editor goes to China to meet one of them, it becomes a love story too.

Predictable nice romance but description of Chinese culinary customs and how they relate to the historical context very informative.