A warmhearted, irresistible page-turner.
Nixon’s historical novel delivers an engaging tale of resilience, ambition, and found family amid Prohibition and the Great Depression. After her mother’s death, 20-year-old Lila Young leaves Rockford, Ill., for Lima, Ohio, hoping to make a fresh start with her older brother, Earl, and his wife, Josephine. When family proves less dependable than she expected, Lila finds companionship among fellow boarders and an outlet in baking. Her talent eventually leads her to open Cutie Pies by the Slice, but success brings complications as well.
Nixon makes appealing use of Lila’s baking as both an emotional touchstone and a measure of her growing independence. Pies initially connect Lila to her late mother and offer solace for her loneliness; later, they become the foundation of her livelihood and a gathering place for the community. The friendships are equally persuasive, particularly Lila’s bonds with Agnes and Maggie, which give the found-family theme its emotional heft. Prohibition, changing expectations for women, and Depression-era hardship lend texture without overwhelming the story, though the organized-crime plot occasionally strains the otherwise intimate narrative. Readers will cheer Lila’s hard-won confidence.
A tender, satisfying celebration of resilience and chosen family.
Roots and Wings Press, LLC
Pub date October 6, 2026
ISBN 978-1-957513-28-7
