The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue: A Novel | Barbara Samuel
Trudy Marino never expected her life to turn out perfectly. But at forty-six, she was content with what she did have: her caring husband Rick . . . twenty-plus happy years raising three accomplished kids . . . and a lovely house in the artistic, vibrantly diverse town of Pueblo, New Mexico. But a heartbreaking discovery and a suddenly shattered marriage now has Trudy looking back on the choices she didnt makeand where she might go from here. Struggling to pick up the pieces, Trudy finds support from a quirky, eclectic group of friends and neighborsher goddesses of Kitchen Avenueall of whom are trying in their own unique ways to navigate lifes little surprises. Theres Jade, a fiery social worker whos finding unexpected strength to deal with her player ex-husband, thanks to a most unorthodox passion; Jades grandmother, Roberta, who has just lost her husband of sixty-two yearsand through memory and piercing grief wonders what to do with the rest of her life; Shannelle, Trudys young neighbor and an aspiring writer, determined to realize her talent despite formidable obstacles . . . including the husband whos afraid her success will be his loss; and Angel, a young, quietly-knowing photographer who makes Trudy uncover a sensuality she never kneweven as he tries to get over the one love he can never really forget. As Trudy faces her future, she discovers that figuring out what to let go and what to keep is just as difficult as moving on. As she weighs what she and Rick still share against new possibilities, shell surprise everyone including herselfas she tries to reconcile the best of both. From an acclaimed voice in fiction, this is a wry, beguiling, heartfelt, and warmly wise novel about second chances, unexpected choices, and the dreams that we all hunger to fulfill. From the Hardcover edition.