Show Notes for Duck a l'Orange for Breakfast by Karina May

Where we discuss romantic comedies and how they can feed us, visiting younger versions of ourselves, looking for comfort and predictability when the world feels unstable and the warm hug of cake.

Welcome to our romantic comedy episode, where we discuss Karina May’s novel Duck a l’Orange for Breakfast, welcome cake (see above, recipe below) and books for and about big decisions,

S3 Episode 9 - A DELICIOUS ROM COM

We both find comfort in this genre; for Sophie, romantic comedies are a regular part of her reading diet, while for Germaine, they are now going to return as an added seasoning after binging on them in her early 20s.

And this episode’s letter could also be read as a romance — our writer leaving Tasmania for love in Sydney and as a way of navigating missing her island home, buying an old church there to keep as a second home and also open as a bnb. Read on for a book that navigates this life change and a welcoming cake to offer a warm hug.

Duck a l’Orange by Karina May

This novel is about Max, who lives with her best friend after discovering her boyfriend cheated on her. She works in advertising and has ambitions to become a writer, all of which are interrupted as a result of not only her boyfriend’s infidelity but also the fact that she has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

While waiting for the surgery, her friend suggests she go on Tinder, and here she finds Johnny, and they decide to be pen pals while also cooking their way through Max’s ex-boyfriend’s family’s cookbook. Calling it the “Fork Him” project, Max finds both cooking and writing to Johnny the perfect way to distract herself, and this also marks the beginning of her asking herself about what she really wants in both life and love. 

Links to what we read, listened to, cooked and talked about