ERICA BAUERMEISTER

THE LOST ART of MIXING
A Novel

A luminous and enchanting sequel to The School of Essential Ingredients….

Lillian and her restaurant have a way of bringing people together.  There’s Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers and ritual; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn’t learned to trust after heartbreak; Finnegan, quiet as a tree, who can disappear into the background despite his massive height; Louise, Al’s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp.  And then there’s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn’t expect.

Their lives collide and mix with those around them, sometimes joining in effortless connections, at other times sifting together and separating again, creating family that is chosen, not given.  A beautifully imagined novel about the ties that bind—and links that break—The Lost Art of Mixing is a captivating meditation on the power of love, food, and companionship.

An Indie Next pick – February 2013

“Erica Bauermeister writes prose delicious enough to devour.”
–Tiffany Baker, NYT bestselling author of The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

“Harrowing and graceful at one time, this is some of Bauermeister’s strongest writing.”
–Seattle Times

“Do you know that feeling you get on a hot day, when you come inside and poor a large glass of something cold, and drink it in huge gulps, loving the feeling of the cold liquid as it quenches your thirst? That’s how I read this book: I gulped it down like it had everything I needed in that moment.”
–Books and Movies

“The individual stores were so compelling and woven together so seamlessly that I fell in love with every one of them…I think the author must have strung the words together with magic because they left me mesmerized.”
–FIRST for Women

“A master mixer of stories, [Bauermeister] writes about transition points, the ways in which people nudge one another into action, about doing what is right for one’s life and not looking back.”
–Portland Oregonian

“Warm, funny, and deeply comforting, The Lost Art of Mixing is a delight.”
–Booklist

“Bauermeister serves up a delicious, captivating story to nourish both longtime fans and new readers.”
–Shelf Awareness

“Ingredients for a Perfect Flight:
1) Arrive at the airport early.
2) Discover a Starbucks near your gate.  Order a seasonal pumpkin latte.
3) Find a seat in the corner.
4)  Open The Lost Art of Mixing.
5)  Hear the landing gear thunk as you turn the last page, having been transported 600 miles + a wonderful world away, simultaneously!”
–Cheryl McKeon, Book Passage Bookstore