In the tradition of Aimee Bender and Nicole Krauss, Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots is a “mouth-watering story of self-discovery” (Sarah McCoy) following two women adrift in New York, brought together by their shared love of cooking. Soon lonely teenager Lorca and newly widowed Victoria develop a deeper bond while their concoctions—cardamom pistachio cookies, baklava, and masgouf—bake in Victoria’s kitchen. But, before long, their individual endeavors force a reckoning with the past, the future, and the truth—whatever it might be.

In this debut Colum McCann calls “beautifully written and sharply felt,” we see how food sustains not just our bodies, but our hopes as well. Bukra fil mish mish, the Arabic saying goes. Tomorrow, apricots may bloom.