Land of Milk and Honey

An impenetrable smog has taken over most of the planet, obliterating crops and leaving most people with nothing but nutritious (but tasteless) mung bean powder as sustenance. Amid the chaos, a young chef is offered an opportunity she can’t pass up—the chance to move to a mountaintop unimpacted by the smog and cook for the richest of the rich. After a trial period during which the chef is able to use ingredients the likes of which she hasn’t seen in years—fresh meats, green vegetables, and strawberries bursting with ripeness—she is offered a full-time position, though she soon finds that the opportunity is not without its complications. Eunice Wong’s narration is a triumph, capturing the unsettling atmosphere of this rarified world and communicating the chef’s growing unease as she begins to understand her employer’s sinister vision and just how far he’s willing to go. Her portrayal of the chef’s layered emotions stuns as the novel explores themes of power, access, and ethics.