Jael McHenry has created a tempting and very satisfying read in her first novel 'The Kitchen Daughter'. The story opens just hours after the funeral for the parents of 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio. Ginny, who is unable to maintain eye contact, tolerate physical contact, make friends, or finish college, still lives in her parents' home. She has spent the majority of her adult life within the confines of that home, reading, attending to her cat Midnight, following her favorite kitchen blog on the Internet and perfecting her recipes in the family kitchen - the place where she finds solace from all that she finds painful in life.
After the sudden death of Ginny's parents, her younger sister Amanda (married with 2 young children) attempts to take control of Ginny's situation and sets things in motion to sell the family home. Unable to deal with these dramatic and sudden changes, Ginny turns to the kitchen where she calms herself cooking familiar recipes and, as a result, uncovers family secrets and ghosts who offers up cryptic advice.
The story is compelling in itself but what adds to the spark in this debut novel is what author Jael McHenry stirs in from her 'other' life. McHenry is an enthusiatic amateur cook who blogs about her kitchen experiences at the Simmer blog, http://simmerblog.com. She is a monthly pop culture columnist and Editor-in-Chief of Intrepid Media, online at intrepidmedia.com.
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