Los Angeles, 1934. Mary Frances is on the cusp of becoming M.F.K. Fisher-the writer whose artful personal essays about food created a genre. She is hungry, and not just for food: she wants Tim, her husband Al's charming friend, who encourages her writing and seems to understand her. After a night's transgression with Tim, it's only a matter of time before Mary Frances claims what she truly desires, plunging all three of them into a tangled triangle of affection that will have far-reaching effects on their families, their careers and their lives.