This Is a Love Story

Lorca is a sixteen-year-old girl who struggles with self-harm and a profound sense of isolation from her distant mother, Nancy. In a desperate attempt to win her mother's affection, Lorca sets out to master the recipe for masgouf, an Iraqi fish dish that represents her mother's happiest memories. Her quest leads her to Victoria, an elderly Iraqi Jewish widow who is mourning the recent death of her husband and harboring the secret of a daughter she gave up for adoption decades earlier. As Victoria teaches Lorca the art of Iraqi cuisine, the two lonely souls form a deep, transformative bond. Through the lens of food and shared grief, the novel explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, the pain of lost love, and the hope found in the families we choose for ourselves.

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