The New York Times–bestselling food writer delivers “a propulsively well-written trio of novellas . . . A richly layered book, full of surprises and pleasures” (Kate Christensen).
In his three novellas, “In Short Measures,” “Strong Conspirators,” and “Sally Forth,” Michael Ruhlman delves deeply into the nuanced complexity of romantic and sexual love—and the inevitable evolution of the heart over the span of years and decades.
Each novella asks questions about the nature of love in terms of loyalty and fidelity—what are one’s obligations toward one’s spouse, one’s family, and one’s heart? In the first novella, “In Short Measures,” these questions are bound up in a writer’s work and a long-ago love. In the second, “Strong Conspirators,” an unforeseen, cataclysmic event calls for responses from a husband and wife that have never been rehearsed, because they have never been required nor even imagined. In “Sally Forth,” a pair of old friends is forced to explore lost youth and lost love relative to maturity, marriage, and the passage of time.
Profoundly thought-provoking and satisfying, these novellas are beautifully written with plot twists from beginning to end that will captivate the reader.
“In Short Measures is rich, textured, and carefully constructed not only for surprises, but also with a powerful love of language and description throughout.” —Washington Independent Review of Books
“Ruhlman writes with intelligence and grace about the things that matter: love and loss and redemption. This is a literary achievement of the first order.” —Ann Hood, award-winning and bestselling author of The Book That Matters Most
