Sourdough

Robin Sloan Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Since bestselling author Robin Sloan has already proven himself worthy in the adventure genre, he recently moved on to writing about another topic many love: food. In his second novel, Sloan serves his audience a culinary delight in Sourdough.

Lois Clary works endless hours as a software engineer. Day after day, it’s the same routine: work, skip lunch, work some more, lament over the lack of a social life and order the absolute best spicy soup and sandwich from Clement Street for dinner.

When the owners of Clement Street are forced to leave the country due to visa issues, Lois is baffled to learn that they have gifted her, their favourite customer, with their sourdough starter. Lois barely uses her kitchen.

The good news is that all the starter needs is a little flour and water, as well as a sound system to play the starter’s favourite music from the special CD thrust into Lois’ hands along with a ceramic crock of grey glop. After a few hours of sourdough research, Lois finds her starter bubbling, singing and even emitting strange smells. She is floored when her first two loaves turn out beautifully.

Suddenly Lois must decide between her stable, yet dull, job as a software engineer or a new adventure as a naturally gifted bread maker.

Sourdough is the story we all secretly dream about. Could we leave our mundane lives and take a leap of faith in the direction of our new-found passion? Sloan takes readers on a thoughtprovoking journey to answer that question.