Heartburn Book Summary

In 'Heartburn,' Nora Ephron delivers a witty and poignant narrative that intertwines love and betrayal in the life of a food writer. As she navigates the dissolution of her marriage, her sharp observations about relationships and the culinary world add layers of humor and sadness. The protagonist's inner turmoil is spiced with delicious recipes that reflect her emotional journey. Ephron's storytelling captivates readers, making them ponder the complexities of love and heartbreak. This engaging novel is both a delectable feast and a heartfelt exploration of resilience.

By Nora Ephron

Published: 1996

"It's hard to keep your heartburn under control when your life is so out of control."

Book Review of Heartburn

A 40th anniversary reissue of Ephron's hilarious first novel that memorably mixed food, heartbreak, and revenge into a comic masterpiece--now with a new foreword by Stanley Tucci. • "Touching and funny.... Proof that writing well is the best revenge." —Chicago Tribune Is it possible to write a sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage? If the writer is Nora Ephron, the answer is a resounding yes. In this inspired confection of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast, the creator of Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally... reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter. Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has "a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs" is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron's irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes. Heartburn is a sinfully delicious novel, as soul-satisfying as mashed potatoes and as airy as a perfect soufflé.

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It's hard to keep your heartburn under control when your life is so out of control.

Heartburn

By Nora Ephron