"The Chicken Sisters" by KJ Dell' Antonia
How do you like your chicken?
Whether it's pan or deep-fried, there are two places
in Merinac, Kansas, that are sure to satisfy your appetite
for succulent poultry.
Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's are fierce rivals, dating
all the way back to the 1800s when two innovative sisters with
an intense dislike for one another, started serving delicious
meals to hungry travelers near the railroad and coal mines.
The quarrel continues today with the Moore and Pogociello
clan still offering mouth-watering chicken dinners in this
little town, where loyal customers frequent both establishments
every day. They are banned from stepping inside the competitor's
restaurant, insisting on perpetuating a nasty feud that spans over
three generations.
Sisters Amanda and Mae Moore grew up in Merinac, but followed
different paths after graduation. Amanda stayed in town, marrying
Frank Pogociello, which banished her from Mimi's, where her
mother, Barbara, reigns as proprietor. Mae, on the other hand, decided
to leave her hometown, and the agonizing, childhood memories
that still haunt her today.
Soon Mae became a celebrity by writing a best-seller about decluttering
your life, while her photogenic face graced a few episodes of Sparkling,
a wildly successful reality series. And although they live miles
apart, bitter resentments and hostility between the estranged sisters
still remain.
On a whim, Amanda decides to answer an advertisement from
Food Wars, a hit television series that promises to pay a whopping
$100,000 grand prize to one lucky restaurant owner willing to pit
their expertise and dining experience against a formidable challenger.
Much to her surprise, the show chooses the chicken establishments
in tiny Merinac to be spotlighted for all the nation to see.
Surely, Mae won't return, but much to Amanda's surprise, she does,
and the supposedly carefree contest turns into a soul-wrenching expose
of humiliating secrets and misunderstandings that rip open old, hidden
wounds best left in the past. The perky Food Wars TV host is relentless
in her quest to probe deeply into the family squabble, rather than
simply staging a taste-testing between two adversaries. What she uncovers
is disturbing, and the many players in the story all converge to face the
fall-out. A painful intervention may be what it takes for Amanda and Mae to
finally realize that blood is thicker than any chicken recipe could ever be.
This endearing, light-hearted, but thought-provoking paperback, is
a delightful read to lift your spirits during this 2020 holiday season.
It's the perfect gift for Mom, your best friend, or that sister you find
so often irritating, but can't live without.
