Elizabeth (Lizzy) and Jane are sisters who have been at odds with each other since their mother died 15 years ago. The story is told from the point of view of Elizabeth, the younger daughter, who left home at 18, after her mother's death, to study under a chef. She has been living in New York for many years, running her own restaurant funded by a venture capitalist named Paul. She has had few visits back home. Jane, the older sister, lives in Seattle with her husband and children, and is undergoing treatments for breast cancer, which is what killed their mother. Their father, who lives in Oregon, cajoles Elizabeth to visit Jane, and after Paul suggests she take time off from the restaurant—which has fewer patrons these days—to see if she can get her mojo back while another chef steps in for a time, Elizabeth decides to spend a few days in Seattle.
Elizabeth notices that Jane can't keep food down easily while on chemo, and she works to develop recipes that take into account the metallic tastes that chemo causes, and works to counteract them, with some success. The sisters continue to spar often, but also find some common ground.
When Jane's husband needs to go on a business trip, Elizabeth ends up staying longer to get Jane to her chemotherapy treatments and to help with the kids. Nick, a friend and colleague of Jane's, catches Elizabeth's interest and she seems to be feeling real joy for the first time in a long time, but she still is set on returning to New York.
Elizabeth starts out as an unlovable character, and then develops into one I can relate to, but before the story ends, her behavior turns ugly. I struggled to decide whether the later crisis points were realistic or contrived. Overall, I'd say that the story is worth reading, but I preferred Katherine Reay's novel The Brontë Plot to this book.
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