About Recipe for Joy
A cherished cookbook and poignant letters prompt a woman to reconnect with her estranged sister and embark on a revealing journey that forces her to reconcile sweet childhood memories with her soured adulthood, changing the course of her life—and her family’s—forever.
About Monica
Monica Comas is a novelist whose stories often focus on relationships—the thorniness, humor, and necessity of them. Her debut novel, Recipe for Joy, was published in March 2026. Her next novel, Upton Retreat, will be published in April 2027.
Essay
Recipe for Joy, written at a tender time, is a love letter of sorts…a love letter to a special place and time, as well as to the author’s beloved mother, whose indefatigable spirit is threaded throughout the story’s characters.
Latest Blog Posts
Autumn Renewal
Happy Fall, everyone! This is my favorite time of year. Nature’s colors are gloriously vibrant. There’s a crispness to the air. The light casts a golden glow. It’s all so lovely! I’m a lover of seasonal change, and Mother Nature’s transition into autumn always comforts me. Every year, I mark…
Shy, Bookish Me
I’m an introvert, which will surprise no one. Now, can bookish me show up with personality, conversation, and connection? Yes. Do I need to recharge my batteries after doing so? Also, yes. Having been a journalist, you have to show up with insightful questions and conversation. You have to…
The Sparkly Handprint
Mother’s Day…My sweet mom, Patty, is no longer on this earthly plane, but I see her everywhere. She molded me into the woman I am. Looking back at my mom’s fingerprints on my life, her vibrant, vital influence endures…even if the recollections snag me a little some days. * I’ll…