Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Stradal J. Ryan

Who is Eva Thorvald?

To her single father a chef she's a pint-sized recipe tester and the love of his life. To the chilli chowdown contestants of Cook County Illinois she's a fire-eating demon. To the fashionable foodie goddess of supper clubs she's a wanton threat. She's an enigma a secret ingredient that no one can put their finger on. Eva will surprise everyone.

On the day before her eleventh birthday she's cultivating chilli peppers in her wardrobe like a pro. Abandoned by her mother gangly and poor Eva arms herself with the weapons of her unknown heritage: a kick-ass palate and a passion bordering on obsession.

Over the years her tastes grow and so do her ambitions. One day Eva will be the greatest chef in the world. But along the way the people she meets will shape her - and she them - in ways unforgettable riotous and profound. So she - for one - knows exactly who she is by the time her mother returns.

Kitchens of the Great Midwest is about the family you lose the friends you make and chance connections that can define a life. Joyful quirky or brazen everyone lends their voice to tell Eva's story - one that's as heartwarming as it is irresistible taking the bitter with the sweet.

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