Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by Martha Stewart Living "Magnificent illustrations add spirit to recipes and heartfelt narratives. Plan to buy two copies—one for you and one for your best foodie friend." —Taste of Home This collection of intimate, illustrated essays by some of America’s most well–regarded literary writers explores how comfort food can help us cope with dark times—be it the loss of a parent, the loneliness of a move, or the pain of heartache. Lev Grossman explains how he survived on “sweet, sour, spicy, salty, unabashedly gluey” General Tso’s tofu after his divorce. Carmen Maria Machado describes her growing pains as she learned to feed and care for herself during her twenties. Claire Messud tries to understand how her mother gave up dreams of being a lawyer to make “a dressed salad of tiny shrimp and avocado, followed by prune–stuffed pork tenderloin.” What makes each tale so moving is not only the deeply personal revelations from celebrated writers, but also the compassion and healing behind the story: the taste of hope. **"If you've ever felt a deep, emotional connection to a recipe or been comforted by food during a dark time, you'll fall in love with these stories."—Martha Stewart Living “Eat Joy is the most lovely food essay book . . . This is the perfect gift." —Joy Wilson (Joy the Baker)** " —Nicole Cousins, White Birch Books (North Conway, NH) "Eat Joy is a thoughtful collection of stories from writers about the food and recipes that have comforted them most in their lives. Sometimes sad, sometimes hopeful, these stories remind us how much of the human experience we all share. With recipes for everything from basic white rice to more in-depth meals, this collection will feed your soul. Perfect for anyone who enjoys food writing, essays, and the ideal gift for a friend who has gone through or is going through a difficult situation. The book itself is a comfort and joy." —Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC) "Loved all these short stories about comfort food and the recipes these authors used to get through tough times in their lives. Unexpectedly emotional, sweet, and touching." —Allie Gilliland, The Bookworm of Edwards (Edwards, CO) "There are moments in our lives that imprint on our souls, and often when we recollect them, our memories entangle with sensory information. The visceral quality of food as it relates to memory is unparalleled—sometimes we eat our favorite foods as comfort during grief, or a dish prepared by a friend becomes healing food from then on. Eat Joy is a lively collection of autobiographical stories in which food plays a starring role (recipes included—and they are lovely!). A diverse selection of celebrated authors tell stories of growth and loss, healing and homecoming, and the resulting collection is nothing short of magical." —Mary Wahlmeier, The Raven Book Store (Lawrence, KS) "Humans have an intimate relationship with food. Eat Joy gives us the stories of some of our most beloved writers as they share big moments in their lives and the recipes that were a part of them. Covering big topics like growing pains and loss to healing and homecoming, these stories are delicious. Eat Joy is a perfect host/hostess gift." —Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA) “Eat Joy is a fantastic collection of short stories and rec