KJ Dell'Antonia

FUN + FOOD + FEEL-GOOD = A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: Take the warmth and pathos of Kristan Higgins' women's fiction, add a setting straight out of Gilmore Girls, sprinkle in mouthwatering depictions of regional comfort food, and the result is The Chicken Sisters. This high-concept, uplifting, emotionally satisfying novel is the perfect summer read.PUTTING THE HEART IN HEARTLAND: The Chicken Sisters is KJ Dell'Antonia's love letter to Kansas and the Midwest. Dell'Antonia does for Kansas what Fannie Flagg did for the South, Elin Hilderbrand did for Nantucket, and Dorothea Benton Frank did for the Lowcountry. Fans of these authors will find much to love about The Chicken Sisters's fictional setting of Merinac, Kansas, and its quirky yet loveable residents.AUTHOR PLATFORM: As the former editor of The New York Times's MotherLode blog, the author of the nonfiction book How To Be a Happier Parent (Avery, 2018), and a regular contributor to the The New York Times, Slate, Parents, and more, Dell'Antonia is widely known for her wise and witty expertise in family dynamics. She brings her trademark humor and insight to the relationships she depicts in The New York Times.BASED ON THE AUTHOR'S OWN HISTORY: Dell'Antonia got the idea for this novel from the rival fried chicken establishments in Pittsburgh, Kansas, that she frequented as a child when visiting her grandparents nearby. The authentic connection to and affection for her subject matter is evident on every page.IDEAL FORMAT FOR SUMMER: The trade original format makes this novel perfect for tucking into beach bags, and will ensure a broad commercial reach.PERFECT FOR BOOK CLUBS: With its sassy and smart exploration of love, loss, sibling bonds, second-chance romance, family rifts, female relationships, and the power of good food, The Chicken Sisters is a winning choice for book clubs.EXCITING TV NEWS: Coming soon!

Three generations. Two chicken shacks. One recipe for disaster.In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state--and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi's before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie's. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. . .The last thing Brooklyn-based organizational guru Mae Moore, Amanda's sister, wants is to go home to Kansas. But when her career implodes, helping the fading Mimi's look good on Food Wars becomes Mae's best chance to reclaim the limelight--even if doing so pits her against Amanda and Frannie's. Yet when family secrets become public knowledge, the sisters must choose: Will they fight with each other, or for their heritage?