The Theoretical Foot

An undiscovered novel by an iconic American food writer – the publication of this enchanting portrait of 1930s bohemian life will be a major literary event

'I sank into The Theoretical Foot like a fat strawberry into whipped cream ... Intimate and moral, funny and wise, there is something incantatory about her style ... She is not just a great food writer. She is a great writer, full stop' Rachel Cooke, Observer

Susan and Joe never want this perfect summer to end. It is the 1930s, and society frowns on the slack morals of couples living in sin – but judgement is suspended at the haven on Lake Geneva where Joe's friend Sara and her lover Tim preside. Here, surrounded by orchards heavy with plums, they are thrust into an exotic milieu of artistic Americans. As morning gives way to afternoon and sunset brings the evening's festivities, the unseen tensions and desires of the group are revealed.