Mangoes and Quince tells the story of Miranda, abandoned in Amsterdam by her husband, Anton, who disappeared into the South Seas. Marooned but restlessly inspired, Miranda expresses her passion through cooking. But as the restaurant she builds in Anton's ancestral home grows increasingly popular, her daughter, Diane, recedes into a world of longing for her lost father. Eventually Diana's curiosity will uncover his dangerous obsession. Mangoes and Quince is part mystery, part love story, part family drama-an intoxicating tale about a woman whose cooking seduces an entire city. Eleven luscious recipes accompany this unusual and sensuous debut. Carol Field is the author of several bestselling cookbooks, and the recipient of many awards, including the James Beard Book Award and the Julia Child Award. She lives in San Francisco. This is her first novel. 'An alluring fable of exotic places, sinister rites, and delicious tastes. I fell in love with the heroine and the mango tart and much more.'-Diane Johnson, author of Le Divorce 'Enticing...Mouthwateringly sensuous descriptions of food and its preparation' -Booklist 'Juicy is the best way to describe this novel... Mangoes and Quince is a book that makes you hungry while you read.' -L.A. Times 'Field writes about cooking with the authority of a master and the sensuality of a lover.' -The Boston Globe 'As her books grow in number on my shelf, so does my appreciation and admiration for Carol Field as a food writer and now as a novelist.'-Alice Waters, author of the Chez Panisse Cookbook Bestselling cookbook author Carol Field has created a feast for the imagination.