“Oh. Cool,” she says.
I watch her face light up and know what she’s thinking. She’s envisioning California, the sun and surf, the celebrities, fast cars, wide lanes, cheap nail polish. Or perhaps she’s seeing her version of New York: the solemn, iconic lady in the harbor, the Empire State Building, lights on Broadway, and horse-and-carriage rides through Central Park. The America of sitcoms and Christmas-holiday movies.
She will not be thinking about the place I’m from. About the skies painted gray and the rain that rolls in, forewarning with that heavy, damp, sweet smell. The huge mugs of coffee. The trees as straight as columns that crowd out the light, the smell of damp earth, and the first, hopeful spring trilliums. Merriem’s radiant dandelion bread; Huia, shoeless, joyful, looking for morels; and Jack, his almost-black eyes, the way he laughs, sitting on his couch with him right beside me, almost close enough to touch.
I take a quick breath. I’ve been speaking Italian for months now, but the words suddenly vanish. Instead my head fills with the memory of his voice, deep and gentle. “Will you be gone long?”
“A while.”
“Are you running away?” Laced with worry.
“Not this time.”
Such dark eyes. Dark as a crow’s wing, dark as espresso. Staring at me like a person looks at a rising sun. I reached out for him.
“There are people I need to come back to.” My fingers seeking the warmth of his.
I glance up at Carmelina. “Sorry,” I mumble in English.
She shrugs kindly, and waits.
I open my fist, which holds the little matchstick cabin instead of money. Carmelina peers at it.
I place it on the table and return to my bag, pushing the contents around. Towel, book, sweatshirt.
“Scusassi,” I apologize, my Italian coming back to me. “My wallet’s in here somewhere.”
Carmelina points at the cabin. “What is that?”
I follow her finger to the log walls made of matchsticks, the miniature windows. The doorknob has fallen off along the way, but other than that it’s intact. A perfect, tiny replica of the cabin in the forest. I can almost hear the Steller’s jay, imagine its flash of blue, smell the lemony resin of the cedars. See daisies looped flower to stem upon dark hair. Feel a hand with a broad palm and rough fingers linked with mine.
I smile at Carmelina. “That is home.”
Pasta alla Norma
PASTA WITH EGGPLANT, TOMATO, AND RICOTTA SALATA
Pasta alla Norma is one of Sicily’s most well-known dishes. It was supposedly named by Nino Martoglio, a Sicilian writer, poet, and theater director, who compared the delicious dish to the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. Penne is generally the easiest pasta to source for this dish, but if you can find reginette or malfadine (both are wavy-edged) or sedanini (similar to penne but slimmer and slightly curved), then feel free to substitute.
Serves 4
3 eggplants
Sea salt
4 garlic cloves
1 large sprig fresh rosemary (chopped into one-inch lengths)
5 plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons passata or tomato puree
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable oil
14 ounces dried pasta (penne)
1 bunch fresh basil for serving (leaves simply plucked or torn depending on your preference)
3/4 cup coarsely grated ricotta salata
PREPARATION
Cut 2 of the eggplants into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle them with salt and set in a colander in the sink to drain for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
To make the sauce: Halve the remaining eggplant lengthwise, then place the halves, skin down, on a clean work surface. Score the flesh with diagonal lines one way and then the other to make a diamond pattern. Thinly slice 2 of the garlic cloves and push the slices into the eggplant halves. Push rosemary pieces into the remaining slots.
Put the eggplant halves back together, wrap in foil, and roast in the oven until soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Unwrap, discard the garlic and rosemary, and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Let the flesh drain in a colander until cool and then finely chop.
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Dip the tomatoes into the boiling water for 10 seconds, then remove and rinse under cold water. Peel and discard the tomato skins. Halve and seed each tomato, then halve again.
Finely chop the remaining 2 cloves garlic. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook very gently until soft and fragrant. Add the chopped eggplant flesh and cook gently to warm through. Add the passata, stir, and cook for another minute or so before taking off the heat. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and set aside.
To fry the eggplant: In a deep pan, heat the vegetable oil (the oil should not come higher than one-third of the way up the sides of the pan). To check the oil is hot enough, put in a few breadcrumbs. They should sizzle straight away. Gently squeeze the diced eggplant to get rid of excess liquid, then fry in the oil until golden, one handful at a time. Drain on paper towels and pat dry.
To make the pasta: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente (often about 1 minute less than cooking time given on the package). Reserving a little of the cooking water, drain the pasta. Add the pasta and cut-up tomatoes to the eggplant sauce and toss all together. Add the fried eggplant and basil leaves and toss. Toss again with a small amount of the ricotta salata, adding a little of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Serve with the rest of the ricotta salata and drizzle with a little olive oil.
i thank you God for most this amazing day: for the leaping
greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for
everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes
e. e. cummings
Acknowledgments
• • • •
This book was both troublesome and hugely rewarding—in that wonderful way that small children are—and, similarly, required an entire (very kind and generous) village to raise.
In order to create the setting I relied heavily on incredible people who work passionately to ensure beautiful, ancient forests like Frankie’s exist, including: Ken Wu and team at the Ancient Forest Alliance, Mitch Friedman at Conservation Northwest, Larry Pynn, Adrienne and Jeff Hegedus, Elaine Graham, Elspeth Bradbury, and the volunteers and teams at UBC Botanic Gardens, Greenheart Canopies, Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, and Lighthouse Park Centre.
I am truly indebted to the real-life Caputos and the other Italians and Italians-at-heart who tirelessly supported me with translation and the cultural aspects of this book. In particular: Melissa Caputo-Khan, Marcella Caputo, Francie Jordan, Laura Foster and her Sicilian sisters—Marcella and Chiara Gattuso. Mille grazie.
Special thanks also to chefs Alfie Spina and Shane Schipper who ensured food references were authentic and assisted in the creation of delicious recipes.
I feel very blessed to have a phenomenal work family of talented people who coach and encourage me and want the very best for my books. Sincere thanks to Miya Kumangai for her brilliant ideas and efforts and everyone at Touchstone for all their kind support. Big thanks to Alexandra Craig, Emma Rafferty, Nicola O’Shea, Rebecca Thorne, and all the gracious, hardworking team at Pan Macmillan Australia. Love and gratitude to my superb agent, Catherine Drayton, Alexis Hurley, and all the team at Inkwell; and to Whitney Frick who steered me and the manuscript in the right direction. To author plus friend Ria Voros and family plus friend Brianne Collins, who provide endless, professional advice and support seemingly just for the love or torture of it—my sincere thanks and love.
Friendships cannot be underrated in this odd, lonely, wonderful job. I want to acknowledge all those friends (including readers who have become friends) that answer my strange questions and buy, gift, celebrate, and promote my work. Special tha
nks to dear friends who served as first readers—Lucie Geappen and Elizabeth O’Brien.
To my family—my parents, Glen and Rob Tunnicliffe; my siblings, Kendall Stewart and Greg Tunnicliffe; all my in-laws, the wonderful Ballestys, Stewarts, and Wattses, who continue to raise and nurture both me and my work—I love and thank you very much. Thanks also to Moana Salmon (a part of our family too) who makes life both easier and more fun.
To my husband, Matthew Ballesty, and our girls, Wren and Noa, you are simply the loveliest, most radiant trio of beings in the entire universe. It’s impossible to explain, or express ample gratitude for, the love, kindness, encouragement, pride, and joy you give me. Arohanui.
Finally, this book is dedicated to a precious and significant friend—Sian James. The experience of knowing you inspired and moved me and changed my life forever. Thank you.
TOUCHSTONE READING GROUP GUIDE
* * *
SEASON of SALT and HONEY
Devastated when her fiancé, Alex Gardner, suddenly dies in a surfing accident, Francesca “Frankie” Caputo abandons her steady job, her comfortable Seattle apartment, and her huge Italian family to retreat to Alex’s family’s secluded cabin. Surrounded by the Cascade Mountains and a forest brimming with treasures waiting to be found, Frankie attempts to grieve and heal herself from the devastation of losing the love of her life—but it isn’t long before the outside world comes to find her. Jack, the Gardner family caretaker, is sent to oust Frankie when the family claims she is trespassing on their land; Bella, Frankie’s estranged sister, arrives seeking sanctuary and solace from her own problems; and Frankie’s father, aunties, and cousins come bearing gifts, concerns, and baskets of delicious, soul-nurturing Italian food. As Frankie attempts to move forward with her life and form relationships with her new neighbors and friends, she learns secrets about both her family and her former fiancé that make her question everything she thinks she knows about love, loss, and forgiveness.
For Discussion
• • • •
1. When faced with difficult situations, both Frankie and Bella resort to running away from their problems. Why do the sisters rely on escape as a solution to their issues? In what ways does running away help Frankie and Bella, and in what ways does it hurt them? Have you ever found it beneficial to run from the things that are troubling you?
2. “Perhaps Italians know that hunger feels too much like sadness.” Describe the role that food plays in Frankie’s grieving and healing processes. How is hunger similar to sadness and grieving? Why is everyone in Frankie’s life, from her aunties to Merriem, so intent on feeding her? What was your favorite passage about food in the novel, and how did the addition of recipes at the end of the chapters enhance your understanding of the role of food in Frankie’s journey?
3. The forest is a mystical place in the novel, home to Merriem’s lush vegetable gardens and hidden treasures that Huia finds on her foraging expeditions. Why is the forest the perfect setting for Frankie’s escape? What does it offer her that the city cannot? How does the forest change Frankie’s identity over the course of the novel?
4. “The thought made me shiver a little: how limited the control we have over the things that matter is. My generation expects the world to yield to our command, to do as we bid it. How naive we are.” Explain what Frankie means when she makes this statement. How does Alex’s death impact her view of the world, and her role in it? What does Frankie’s realization about her lack of control mean for her life going forward, and how does her awareness of this fact change her?
5. What does being Italian mean to Frankie and how does it define her identity? How does Alex’s refusal to travel to Italy on their honeymoon impact her? How did the inclusion of Italian words and phrases affect your reading of the novel and your understanding of Frankie and her upbringing?
6. Compare and contrast the Gardner family and the Caputo family. How are Frankie and Alex able to make their relationship work despite the differences between their families? Do you think the Gardner family would have changed their opinions of Frankie when she was officially a member of their family?
7. Throughout the novel, Frankie recalls scenes from her relationship with Alex as if she were watching a romantic comedy where everyone ends up living happily ever after. In grieving, however, she comes to realize a number of truths about their relationship that she was previously blind to. How did your feelings toward Alex shift throughout the novel? Do you think he loved Frankie, or was in love with her? How does their love change as they evolve from high school sweethearts to an engaged couple leading busy lives? Do you think it is inevitable for love to change over time?
8. Since they were little girls, Frankie and Bella have been categorized and put into boxes by their family members: the good girl versus the bad girl. How do the sisters each play into the expectations of their family? How does being cast into a certain role impact their decision-making and their relationships with each other? Would things have been different if Frankie had been deemed the bad girl by her family?
9. Both Frankie and Huia have grown up without a mother. Describe what we know about each of their mothers, and how each character remembers her mother. Who do Frankie and Huia each look to as mother figures, and why? How do Giuseppe and Jack both attempt to provide their daughters with mother figures?
10. Why are the Gardners so adamant that Frankie leave their cabin? Why don’t they respect her grieving process or feel that she is close enough to family to allow her to stay? Did your feelings toward Mrs. Gardner change when you learned about the secret of her marriage and the true reasons she has for disliking Frankie?
11. Do you think Frankie is right to hold a grudge against Bella for what she thinks she saw at a party? What prevents Frankie from confronting Bella, and how might their relationship have been different if she had confronted her sooner? How did you react when you discovered that Bella had been falsely accused?
12. Forgiveness is a major theme of the novel. How and why does Frankie come to forgive Bella, Summer, and even Alex? Do you think she is right to forgive each of them? Share stories with your book club about circumstances when you have forgiven someone.
13. On grieving his wife, Giuseppe tells Frankie, “Life becomes better. Things become better. But it remains. It always remains. I never had this closure.” By the end of the novel, do you think Frankie has attained any degree of closure about Alex’s death? Do you think that it is necessary to find a sense of closure after a loss, or do you agree with Giuseppe that it is not possible?
14. How did you feel about where Frankie ends up at the end of the novel, both physically and emotionally? Were you surprised by her decision? Where do you imagine she will be in five years?
A Conversation with Hannah Tunnicliffe
• • • •
Your previous novel, The Color of Tea, was set in Macau. What made you decide to move across the ocean to set Season of Salt and Honey in the Pacific Northwest? Were you surprised by any similarities you found in writing about these two locations?
To put it simply—I moved across the ocean! I lived in Macau for three years, where I wrote The Color of Tea, and then relocated to the Pacific Northwest and was immediately awed by the marked contrasts between the two environments. The beauty and impact of the ocean, the majestic ancient forests, the ever-present tones of green and gray and blue. The two settings of my novels—Macau and Washington State—are very different, but what struck me as I wrote this story was how similar people are, no matter where they are. Love and family are the most meaningful elements of our lives; food is used to soothe and celebrate, and grief sears, no matter where we go to escape it.
Did any person or situation provide inspiration for Frankie’s story?
I was very curious about the account of Julia Butterfly Hill, an activist who lived in a California Redwood tree for 738 days in order to save it from felling. Butterfly Hill’s documentation of sacrificing years of her youth to live in a tree led me to explore
the idea of a similarly young woman escaping to the forest for protection, privacy, purpose, and comfort. Various Pacific Northwest writers and poets such as artist Emily Carr, who describes the forests in this region so poignantly, and the environmental activists who diligently strive to preserve them also provided rich inspiration for the writing that became Season of Salt and Honey.
Frankie and Alex’s love story is obviously the focus of the novel, but I loved Frankie and Bella’s sister story. Did you always envision the sister story as being so central to the narrative, or did that emerge through the writing process?
I always envisioned a central sister story for Frankie, but the dynamics of the relationship and its significance evolved over the course of the writing. I really enjoy writing about female relationships, and sisters are no exception. Sister relationships can be so complicated and yet, at the core, so simple. It seems to me that a sister relationship is not the same as a friendship, differs from a parental relationship, and is dissimilar from a competitor or foe; yet it contains the elements of all of those kinds of relationships in varying and unequal measures. This makes sister relationships very satisfying to write about.
Which character in the story do you empathize with the most? Which would you most like to have a cup of tea with? Merriem in particular was such a vibrant character—she really came to life on the pages!
That’s a great question—can I have a tea party with all of them, plus a steaming hot loaf of Merriem’s dandelion bread? I probably empathize most with Frankie, whom I got to know best, but sympathize with both Bella and Summer, adore Papa, Merriem, and Huia, am charmed by the aunties, and have a crush on Jack. I would love the opportunity to return to Washington State and Edison in particular, to explore the region and its food, including the small bakery that inspired the one in the book named Breadfarm. I’d constantly be on the lookout for the characters from the story and wishing for that tea and bread with butter and honeycomb.
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