"The Chicken Sisters"

"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.