Zucchini Pie — Susan Aylworth

When Karen Burnett receives word that 100-year-old Granny Adelaide is fading fast, she and her husband rush to the hospital to say their good-byes. As the end draws near, Granny reveals her dying wish: she wants each member of her fragmented family present at her funeral, as well as at a picnic dinner featuring nostalgic family foods. In her last breaths, she calls upon her granddaughter-in-law, Karen, to carry out this seemingly insurmountable task. With cherished recipes in hand and a determination to follow through with her promise, Karen sets Granny's plan in motion. Karen's husband, Tom, however, is less than enthusiastic about his grandmother's meddling. He hasn't seen his father -- the man who abandoned Tom, his mother, and younger siblings -- in decades, and the years have done nothing to diminish his bitterness. As the day of the funeral approaches, Tom must decide: will he allow himself to be consumed by his anger, or will he embrace the potential for peace? "Zucchini Pie" is a heartfelt novel of connection: of a struggling family and the food that one wise old woman trusts will bring them back together.