World of Pies: A Novel

By: Karen Stolz

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Synopsis: Roxanne is twelve years old and wild for baseball in 1962, the year of a pie-baking contest that will change her life forever. Life in the small town of Annette, Texas, has been idyllic, cozy; until this summer, Roxanne's toughest choices have revolved around whether to wear an apron while she helps her mother in the kitchen or whether to pitch underhand or over. The summer of 1962 brings Roxanne her first glimpse of a life that isn't always fair or even very nice, and though she always ends up returning to the warmth and pleasures of small-town life, Roxanne will be pushed into growing up a little faster after this summer. In this remarkable debut work from author Karen Stolz--a novel in stories--we follow the arc of a girl's life as she grows to womanhood. From crushes to surprise baby sisters to nail polish to a devastating death, Roxanne is our guide through a life that has moments of tenderness, poignancy, sorrow, and great humor, as well as some pretty great baking moments (recipes included). The recipes are for Roxanne's hot-out-of-the-oven comfort foods: Aunt Ruthie's Cinnamon Rolls, Mabel's Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Sauce, and, of course, Miss Cherry Pie. A sumptuous, sweet novel--though, like the best pie, tart in all the right places.