Dinner with Edward

Written by Isabel Vincent

Narrated by Elise Arsenault

When Isabel meets Edward, both are at a crossroads: he wants to follow his late wife to the grave, and she is ready to give up on love. Thinking she is merely helping Edward's daughter-who lives far away and asked her to check in on her nonagenarian dad in New York-Isabel has no idea that the man in the kitchen baking the sublime roast chicken and light as air apricot souffle will end up changing her life. As Edward and Isabel meet weekly for the glorious dinners that Edward prepares, he shares so much more than his recipes for apple galette or the perfect martini, or even his tips for deboning poultry. Edward is teaching Isabel the luxury of slowing down and taking the time to think through everything she does, to deconstruct her own life, cutting it back to the bone and examining the guts, no matter how messy that proves to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: May 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781622319978

Isabel Vincent

Isabel Vincent is an award-winning investigative journalist currently working for the New York Post. She is the author of Bodies and Souls: The Tragic Plight of Three Jewish Women Forced into Prostitution in the Americas; Hitler's Silent Partners: Swiss Banks, Nazi Gold, and the Pursuit of Justice; and See No Evil: The Strange Case of Christine Lamont and David Spencer. Her work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times "T" Magazine, the Independent, Marie Claire, L'Officiel (Paris), and many other international publications. She lives in New York City.

Reviews for Dinner with Edward

[bogopea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Memoir of Isabel, a 40-something woman (married, soon to be divorced) and a 90-something man (Edward) and how their friendship developed during several years of frequent gourmet dinners cooked by Edward during which he explains life, as he sees it. "A book about love and nourishment." Edward had lost his wife and his will to live; Isabel was a recent transplant to NYC with a daughter and a lousy marriage. Through the pleasure and enjoyment of good food, they bonded and nourished their souls with their friendship. It wasn't quite what I expected but their love and friendship shone through and I did enjoy the memoir.

[justella_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found it really difficult to read this book. I actually read a little of it and put it away for a while before making myself read it. Unlike many readers who enjoyed reading about the friendship between the author and a friend's ninety-five year old father. I found it creepy that he called her "darling" and "baby".

[jolynne-4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Endearing story.

[m.belljackson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dinner with Edward is definitely not a great book for Vegetarians with way too much emphasis on preparing meat,though the Apricot soufflé and the scrambled egg recipes are memorable.Also memorable is the bond that develops between Edward and Isobel at the times in their lives when comfortand inspiration were needed for survival. Yet death, sadness, and depression often dominate the mood and plot.

[carolfoisset · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't expecting all the involved descriptions of the food they ate. Everything sounded delicious - main problem it made me hungry! Enjoyed the story of their friendship and how it helped each of them through a difficult period in their lives. It was an enjoyable, easy listen

[caslater83 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite book.

This book is okay. I have no complaints about the material. I just cannot relate to any of the characters. I think the desired target audience should be anyone who has faced marital struggles or anyone who has special friendships with the elderly. I think I am too young to appreciate the unique friendship between them.

[rmckeown_9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite reads of 2017 was Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. This tender story is of an widower and a widow who develop a close bond. I never expected to come across a similar story of man in his 90s and a woman about half his age. Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent proved to be every bit as tender, as the two dealt with their own losses. Edward lost is wife, and Isabel suffers from a traumatic divorce. This touching story is true. Vincent is an investigative journalist who writes for The New York Post. She is a Canadian citizen graduated from the University of Toronto, and she has authored several books. Edward happens to quite a good chef.Isabel meets with a long-time friend, Valerie, and she opens up to he friend that her 90+ year-old father is slowing wasting away. His wife has recently died, and Edward is inconsolable. Valerie asks Isobel—now living in New York—if she would mind checking up on him from time to time. Edward has decided he would rather die than spend his remaining years alone. Vincent writes, “I don’t know if the temptation of a good meal did it for me, or if I was just as lonely that even the prospect of spending time with a depressed nonagenarian seemed appealing” (4). Isabel agrees, and the wheels of this beautiful story begin to turn.At first, Isabel felt a bit nervous. She writes, “In the beginning I would invariable arrive at Edward’s apartment with a bottle of wine. ‘No need to bring anything, baby,’ he said, although I often ignored the advice, finding it difficult to show up for dinner empty-handed. // And there was no need to knock on the door or ring the doorbell, Edward told me. He always knew when I was coming because the doorman would call up to his apartment when I walked through the front doors of his building” (5). She writes, “I could never have imagined that meeting Edward would change my life” (4).Each chapter begins with a menu for the evening. At first the meals tended slightly away from simple. For example, the first mean included “Grilled Sirloin Steak, Sauce Bourguignonne, New Potatoes, Chocolate Soufflé, Malbec” (5).Naturally, the conversation revolves around the personal events in their lives. Edward explains, “‘I’m a man who loves women, for all the obscure reasons as well as the obvious ones’, Edward wrote to me in a letter shortly after we met. ‘Their femininity, their charm, desirability, delicacy, warmth, beauty, tenderness and on and on—a list too long to record. But I have only been in love with one woman all my mature life” (29). “I wouldn’t have lived this long without her” (29). Edward met Paula in a Greenwich Village theater in 1940.Later, the dinners become more elaborate. “Chicken Paillard, Sauce aux Champignons, Pomme de Terre Souffles, Baked Acorn Squash, Vanilla Ice cream, Bourbon/Pastis Cocktail, Chardonnay” (54). I love dining out with my wife, and these kinds of memorable meals are—on occasion—menus we try at home. More often, however, we try restaurants all over Texas, and especially when we travel.Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent is a truly moving story of two lonely people developing a close and wonderful bond. Read this novel and see if you can increase the romance in your life. 5 stars.--Jim, 2/23/18

[terris-7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this story of friendship between a young 30-something woman, Isabel, and a 90-year-old man, Edward. He is the father of her good friend, Valerie, whose wife has just died. Valerie asks that Isabel visit her father because of his loneliness and grief, hoping a new friendship will keep him from being so depressed after his wife's death.Edward is an amateur gourmet chef and loves to cook for friends, so Isabel becomes a frequent visitor. The two become close friends, sharing life lessons, histories, sorrows, and dreams. Isabel is going through a stormy time in her married life, and Edward helps her look at her life, as she tries to decide what she wants and what to do next.It is a short book, very soothingly written with much talk about food: buying it, preparing it, and eating it. It is wonderful! Also, you can tell how they both love New York City and its vibrant hustle and bustle. It is just an amazing book recommended to me by a friend and which I am passing on to a friend. It is definitely a "friend" book :)

[michigantrumpet_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Isabel Vincent initially views her visit to a friend's elderly, recently-widowered father as a chore.Tasked as a one-girl cheering section, Vincent soon finds the visits are hardly onerous. An accomplished cook, Edward's scrumptious dinner menus head each chapter. She learns to appreciate food prepared with care and excellent ingredients and an eye for occasion and company. Soon she finds she gains as much in love and support from the friendship than she gives. A lovely book of inter-generational respect, caring and sharing. We should all be so lucky to have an Edward in our lives.

[squirrelhead_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such an enjoyable book by Isabel Vincent – It’s about love, friendship, understanding with a bonus of fantastic menus. I’m sorry I didn’t read it sooner when bookish friends were writing about it.The first chapter is sorrowful as Edward is sitting by his wife’s bedside, listening to her sing and then telling him he may not end his life when she dies, it would be the end of the family. How would Edward deal with his grief? What is their backstory, this loving couple who can’t imagine a life without the other in this world?Edward meets his daughter’s friend, Isabel Vincent, and they forge a great friendship. Both are going through an emotional time in their lives but this friendship is exactly what they both need. It was wonderful to read about their interactions and their special dinners.Each chapter begins with a menu. It’s the meal Edward would be preparing for Isabel and each meal is exceptional. Chapter one starts us with Grilled Sirloin Steak, Sauce Bourguignonn, New Potatoes, Chocolate Souffle and Malbec.One day Isabel is walking off the elevator to Edward’s apartment and she “immediately inhaled cinnamon, sugar and baked apples.” She felt a rush of happiness. What a lovely aroma to be greeted with and I would also be happy to know I could indulge in an apple galette later in the evening. So much food and wine and cocktails! Initially I was going to make the Apple Galette but then the lure of his crab cake dinner roped me in.My recipe is an adaption of one from the Cheesecake Factory. A restaurant I have never been in but have heard they serve some good crab cakes. These are loaded with chunks of crab, fresh red bell pepper and green scallions. We also enjoyed cheese grits, steamed broccoli and and a few glasses of Chardonnay.This book is a lovely tribute, well documented by award winning investigative journalist Isabel Vincent.

[dschander_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dinner With Edward is a light, pleasant book about two people adrift in life and how their dinners together bring them both kinship and guidance. However, the narration is disjointed, moving back and forth in time regularly and unexpectedly; the dinners have some description but few major details about preparation; and the stories rarely move beyond the surface for further exploration.

[knitwit2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A charming story of the friendship between a middle aged woman in a failing marriage with an elderly man coping with the loss of his beloved wife. The both come to terms with their losses over shared dinners and intimate conversation.

[pixiestyx77 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I won an advanced reviewer copy of Dinner with Edward: A Story of Unexpected Friendship. Initially I was very happy to have won this book as I tend to really enjoy food-related memoirs, however my excitement dulled as I read on. The chapters felt disjointed, they did not flow easily and in some cases seemed out of order. Edward was very relatable, and the stories about him and Paula were wonderful and I could easily see why Isabel enjoyed their dinners and his friendship. I found myself not relating and not wanting to relate to Isabel. The focus is so much on Edward that information about Isabel's life outside of their friendship is left out. There are points that almost seem purposefully vague to make her seem more mysterious.The descriptions of the dinners were alright, although there are no recipes to be had - perhaps because for the most part Edward eschewed recipes?

[countrylife_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two vulnerable people come together during a hard time in each of their lives and are strengthened by their bond. Ninety-four year old Edward has lost his wife to cancer. His daughter, Valerie, asks her friend, Isabel, who lives near him, to stop in and see him. Edward asks her to come to dinner, and a comfortable friendship begins, with these dinners as the fulcrum. Edward has something to live for, so doesn’t follow his wife to the grave as he longed to do. Isabel has a sustaining friendship to bolster her as her marriage disintegrates. Isabel tells the story of their friendship around the meals that Edward cooks for them, with each chapter headed by a menu. This is one:Beef with Sauce BordelaisePan-Fried Potatoes with GruyereSalad of Mixed Greens with Homemade VinaigretteApple and Pear GaletteMalbecI confess that it drove me crazy with the “homemade” in front of every salad dressing. What kind of cook would serve anything else? At that rate, she should also have said “Homemade Beef with homemade Sauce Bordelaise” and “Homemade Apple and Pear Galette”. I found the “homemade” label completely ridiculous.The story rather read like it was trying to be a deep, philosophical read. The story itself was bittersweet – the marriage doesn’t improve, the old gentleman ages more. The sustaining friendship, though, endures. This was an enjoyable food and friendship memoir.

[samantha100_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this to be a beautifully written memoir that told about a special relationship. Well worth reading.

[wincrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Dinner with Edward" by Isabel Vincent is a touching tale of the friendship between Isabel and Edward. Isabel, dealing with marriage problems, agrees to have dinner with her friend's father. Little did she know that these dinners would soon become not only something that she looked forward to, but also something that would help her through the rough patch in her life. Edward is a sweet old man who is grieving the death of his beloved wife Paula, and comes to life again through cooking these dinners. I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a feel-good story.

[burnit99 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Isabel Vincent, recently divorced, has been asked by a friend who lives far away to check in on her ninety-something father in New York, who has just lost his beloved wife Paula. This begins a strong and satisfying friendship, punctuated by Edward's amazing dinners (he is a self-taught master cook) and lessons on life and cooking. The two help each other through difficult crossroads, where one has given up on life and the other on love. The book is described on the cover as a story of an unexpected friendship, which are the finest kind, no matter the ages involved. The descriptions of the exquisite meals prepared by Edward add all sorts of flavor to the feast.

[cyncie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dinner with Edward, is a culinary and relationship feast of a little book! It covers the unlikely friendship between a 90-something man, Edward, and Isabel, the middle-age friend of his daughter, who asks her to look out for her dad, after the death of his much-beloved wife. What transpires are dinners,wonderfully tasty, but also rich in life lessons that Edward shares with Isabel. The book is thought-provoking and fun.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 A wonderful relationship between an man whose wife of sixty two years has died and the author, asked to look in on him by his two daughters. Edward is an amazing man, a man who wholeheartedly loved his wife, loves to cook and entertain, Isabel is in a troubled marriage, a journalist who is working in New York. The menus are wonderful, the descriptions of the food make one hungry. So from dinners and conversation a lasting friendship is formed. A glorious and sentimental story of how two people a generation apart help each other through troubled times. I fell in love with Edward, it was hard not to, he is such an elegant, intelligent man, a man who only uses the best. We learn of his life with his wife, so beautiful, so sad. We watch how Isabel changes, becoming a fuller person, makes changes in her life, happier. Learn a little history, Roosevelt Island and the mental institution that once inhabited this space and still leaves traces. All in all a wonderful, delightful story.ARC from publisher.

[bookaholicbanter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dinner with Edward is a story of love, relationships, and coming together over dinner!This book was a pleasure to read. It is one of those books that will warm your very soul. It is touching, heart-felt, and endearing. It makes you think of how precious life is. It speaks of those rare friendships that we find when we most need them in our lives. It's a story of finding those rare and precious moments in a world full of sorrow.The writing in this book was beautiful! The story was easy to follow and written in a way that was subtle yet provocative. The food will make you want to cook gourmet and pair it with the perfect drink. My mouth watered while reading this book. The story flowed along with ease. The chapters were short and to the point. It take place in New York and is alive with culture. It was educational and I learned a few facts I didn't know about New York and the culture.The characters were magnificent. They were intellectual and charming. The dialogue was short and to the point. The story told itself with out the need for too much conversation. It was a read that made me ponder and reminisce of past relationships whether they were family or lovers. Everyone that we meet has a purpose in our lives whether for a fleeting moment or for a lifetime. This book will make you treasure your loved ones more and maybe even throw a dinner party and bond over food, drinks, and good company.This book was a pleasure to read and a time or two brought a tear to my eye. It will touch your heart and stay with you long after you read it. If you are looking for a read that is pleasurable, heart-warming, and quick you will be pleased with this book. It is a short read with short page, but packs a punch. The perfect book to curl up with while having a glass of wine. Just be prepared to get hungry. You may not want to read on an empty stomach. ;-)

[msnick_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dinner with Edward: A Story of an Unexpected Friendship by Isabel Vincent falls into my favorite category of memoirs: relationships formed over food! Asked by a friend to check in with her grieving father, Isabel quickly strikes a friendship with Edward. Seeing each other through hard times - Edward's loss of his wife, Isabel's marriage failing - the two develop a heartwarming bond that pulls the reader in as much as the luscious descriptions of Edward's weekly feasts.

[micheller7_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although I read fiction most often, I like variety, so sometimes I read non- fiction; my favorite genre of non-fiction is memoir. Although not subtitled as such, Dinner With Edward by Isabel Vincent, is certainly her memoir of an unusual friendship with a gentleman half her age, she being in her mid- forties and he being 93. Edard is a recent widower, lonely for his recently deceased wife Paula, while Isabel, a journalist, is somewhat depressed, and in a failing and disintegrating marriage with a young daughter. Coincidently, they both live on Roosevelt Island. They met through his daughter, a friend of Isabel's. Edward is a sometimes poet and excellent cook. He makes frequent dinners for Isabel, the menus complete with entrees, soup or salad, dessert and wine and these menus head up each chapter. I wish I could join them to eat the food. It all sounded wonderful. There is a simple charm to the book, it moves slowly, revealing that not only did Isabel come for the dinners, she also came for the stories.

[lanewillson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dinner with EdwardI brought the culinary sophistication of a Krystal’s Chili Cheese Pup to my reading of Isabel Vincent’s memoir, Dinner with Edward. With each chapter starting with a menu of fine cuisine, French no less, I was more than a bit intimidated. Fortunately, a hatred of asparagus and disdain for brie do not spoil Ms. Vincent’s best course, the story of how a friendship is made. Like most meals, there are parts of Ms. Vincent’s offering that seem somehow familiar. Tuesdays with Morrie and Julie & Julia were recognizable flavors but did not overwhelm or distract from Edward’s entrance into her life, or the significance that arises from their time together. They both seem to be trying to create from scratch, with only the memory of a distant dish as guide, something to replace what has been lost in their lives. But both are willing to set their dish aside to help the other. One note I found especially fascinating was the very subtle aroma of romance between them. The distance between there births, along with their admiration and mutual respect of one another, prevent any passion to be stired. Yet, as one dreams of the future while the other looks at the past, they find an opportunity in one another to an outlet for to give and experience love. In other news, this is another book I’m grateful to have received from Algonquin Books and given the pleasure of previewing. Dinner with Edward will be released on May 24th. Thanks @AlgonquinBooks!

[dianaleez · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really wanted to like Isabel Vincent's 'Dinner with Edward,' but it just didn't work for me.The premise is simple: Isabel has dinner with a friend's ninety-year-old father. The dinner turns into a standing appointment. The elaborate dinners become not only an opportunity for the younger woman to provide companionship to the elderly man, but also a source of comfort for both.He not only cooks truly worthwhile dinners (each chapter is headed by the night's menu), he also becomes a mentor, guiding the troubled Isabel to both self-knowledge and positive action.If only life were truly so easy. And nonagenarians had the stamina to cook and enjoy multi-course meals. Edward is a marvel. He is wise and witty and charming. I also find it impossible to suspend my disbelief. Yes, it's a charming story. And when I looked I found it listed one place as 'self-help.' At another site it was 'biography.' Fact or fiction? Really. So is it fiction or fact?

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful little book. Edward has recently lost his wife. His daughter asks her friend, Isabel Vincent, to keep an eye on him since they live close to each other on Roosevelt Island. He starts cooking her dinner about once a week and this special time together helps them both immensely. Isabel learns to slow down and enjoy excellent food and the time it takes to make it and Edward finds reasons to keep living after losing the love of his life. The dinner menu heads up each chapter and they all sound wonderful. There are a lot of deep subjects touched on in this book both serious like old age, illness, death; as well as lighter subjects like friendship, good food and taking care of yourself and others. I appreciate LibraryThing Early Reviewer program for sending me this book. I can't wait to share it.

[hammockqueen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Clever, rather quaint. Nice characters that were easy to read about and enjoy their dynamics. I loved the whole idea of their meetings and ratings.

[leila0k · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was so good. Even though I didn't understand 99% of the foods they talked about the food sounded amazing. Although sometimes it sounded more like art than food. But there were also good tips for cooking weaved in throughout the book. I'm not usually a fan of nonfiction, but this book inspired me to read more nonfiction books. I could really relate to the characters, obviously since this is a true story. However, this was kind of like something that many people might go through. It is not some crazy true story. Overall it was a pretty good book.

[silversi_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I thought that it had amazing potential and I was looking forward to reading it but I never found myself bonding with the characters. I wanted to but it just wasn't there. I truly enjoyed the idea and I'm certainly not sorry I read it but I wished that the characters had been developed more. The secondary characters, such as her daughter, husband and Edward's daughters might as well not have been included in the story, they were just empty names with no personality. That was a bit of a disappointment.

[marasgma · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a lovely book! The characters were so well thought out and developed that I felt like I was right there with them. Such a gastronomic delight, presented in delightfully lyrical language, yet clearly an important story. Reading this book transported me well beyond the business of daily life. Others might long for a bubble bath, massage or glass of wine, for me - it is Dinner with Edward. My friendship was unexpected, as well.

[bearette24 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a memoir written by a woman who moved to New York City to write for the New York Post. Her marriage is crumbling and she's going through a lot of confusion. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with a man in his 90s, the father of one of her friends. He has recently lost his wife and they are able to comfort each other (in a platonic way). They share food and wisdom. I really liked Isabel Vincent's writing and I felt like I knew Edward. Their friendship was very rich and comforting.