The Family Recipe: A Novel

(Hardback)

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Delightful....A funny yet poignant tale of one familys search for belonging and understanding. Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author

From the author of the sharp, smart, and gloriously extra (Nancy Jooyoun Kim, New York Times bestselling author) Good Morning America Book Club Pick The Fortunes of Jaded Women, a stunning family dramedy about estranged siblings competing to inherit their fathers Vietnamese sandwich franchise and unravel family mysteries.

Duc Tran, the eccentric founder of the Vietnamese sandwich chain Ducs Sandwiches, has decided to retire. No one has heard from his wife, Evelyn, in two decades. She abandoned the family without a trace, and clearly doesnt want anything to do with Duc, the business, or their kids. But the money has to go to someone. With the help of the shady family lawyer, Duc informs his five estranged adult children that to receive their inheritance, his four daughters must revitalize run-down shops in old-school Little Saigon locations across America: Houston, San Jose, New Orleans, and Philadelphiawithin a year. But if the first-born (and only) son, Jude, gets married first, everything will go to him.

Each daughter is stuck in a new city, battling gentrification, declining ethnic enclaves, and messy love lives, while struggling to modernize their fathers American dream. Jude wonders if he wants to marry for love or for moneyor neither. As Ducs children scramble to win their inheritance, they begin to learn the real intention behind the inheritance schemeand the secret their mother kept tucked away in the old fishing tackle box, all along.

The Family Recipe is about rediscovering ones roots, different types of fatherly love, legacy, and finding a place in a divided country where the only commonality among your neighbors is the universal love of sandwiches.

Reviews

"Blend family intrigue and drama with long held secrets and you get a gem of a book that sparkles with longing and hope and healing." New York Timesbestselling author J.C. Cervantes
"CarolynHuynhhas done something extraordinary with The Family Recipe.By seamlessly weaving the intricate lives of the Tran family,Huynhcreates a story so lyrical and compelling it is certain to become an instant favorite.Huynhis a master storyteller whos firing on all cylinders in The Family Recipe. Liza Palmer, author of Family Reservations
"What fun to be a fly on the wall as the five siblings in The Family Recipestumble over their own rivalries and shortcomings to become the sole inheritor of their whimsical fathers fortune. Money, love, family dysfunction Huynh hits all the marks with a perfect blend of playfulness and angst, while her characters troubles show astutely how the cracks in a family unit mirror a fractured community. The Trans make messy choices, but wow, are they hard not to love. An infinite delight." Laura Warrell, author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm
"Carolyn Huynh offers another deft example of irresistible wit and fast-paced storytelling in her latest novel,The Family Recipe,a whip-smart homage to (and critique of) that most fraught of ideologiesthe American dream. This deliciously daring take on a marriage plot novel combines ambitiousscope with a host of characters whose desires and struggles root deep into readers' hearts. Huynh has established herself as an inimitable voice of the Vietnamese American diaspora, one whose novels never disappoint."Thao Thai, author ofBanyan Moon
"Carolyn Huynh once again shares her wondrous ability to blend humor, history, and heart through her intricately woven story. With wit, warmth, and insight, she brings to life the powerfully haunting experience of survival and sacrifice for the Tran family, their secrets and struggles pushing them to a reckoning point. In The Family Recipe, Huynh explores complicated, fraught relationships and examines the sacrifices of reaching for the American dream, all while delighting us with her unforgettable characters. Vivid, whimsical, and wonderfully satisfying." Diane Marie Brown, author of Black Candle Women
"This story about bickering Vietnamese American siblings and their secretive elders is a funny yet poignant tale of one family's search for belonging and understanding."Charmaine Wilkerson,New York Timesbestselling author ofBlack Cake
"The Family Recipeis a page-turning delight. Filled with multi-generational family drama, memorable characters, and delicious food, Huynh's latest is a timely, globe-trotting literary feast you won't want to end." J. Ryan Stradal,New York Timesbestselling author ofKitchens of the Great Midwest

Author Bio

Carolyn Huynh loves writing about messy Asian women who never learn from their mistakes. Her debut book, The Fortunes of Jaded Women was a Good Morning America book club pick and is being adapted for television by Heyday Studios and Universal. Her sophomore book, The Family Recipe, comes out in 2025. When shes not writing, Carolyn daydreams about having iced coffee on a rooftop in Ho Chi Minh City.