A recipe book is an odd thing to give to someone who doesn't cook, so when Kat Bower is bequeathed a book of secret family recipes by her recently deceased mother, Ella, she is puzzled. Along with the recipes, lovingly handed down from generation to generation, Kat quickly discovers that the book is a conduit into the lives of the remarkable women who contributed to it. Through their stories, she embarks on a journey of discovery about herself and her unexpected heritage, and about persecution, love and understanding. It turns out that the book brings her more than she could have ever imagined.