A malady resulting from consuming something too whole and too quickly, heartburn is a painful, burning sensation felt just behind the breastbone which is often mistaken by first-time sufferers for a heart attack. Ephron’s titular double-entendre instantly sets the tone for this soul-changing 179-page novel.
Whether you’ve seen the motion picture adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson or not, picking up Ephron’s 1983 novel is an essential, side-splitting step in healing from heartbreak – especially for fans of gastronomical literary icons such as M.F.K Fisher. A roman à clef imbued with the pain, solidarity and humour of personal experience, we meet Rachel – a woman who, seven months into her pregnancy, has discovered her husband is in love with someone else.
The 38-year-old Rachel Samstat writes cookbooks, so it certainly makes sense that she navigates heartbreak through food. Oscillating between wanting her husband back and hoping he’s dead, we’re welcomed into the convoluted, hilarious psyche of Ms Samstat as she deliciously writes her way out of a broken heart.
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