Laura Schenone

I write nonfiction books because I find real life fascinating, and I love bringing true stories to light. I am the author of three books published by W.W. Norton & Co. The first, A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove (2003) was inspired by the time I spent living in a pre-Civil War farmhouse wondering about all the women before me who cooked for and fed the human race. The book was featured in many national and regional news outlets including The New York Times and NPR. It won a James Beard Book Award. Next, I wrote a memoir about my quest to find a long lost family recipe. It was a project that conveniently required travel to Italy. The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken (2007) was featured in Saveur, Food and Wine, Good Housekeeping, Elle, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, and Reader’s Digest. It was selected as a Newsday Cookbook of the Year. Adriana Trigiani called it "an elegant masterpiece," and Newsweek called it “a feast for the mind and the heart, as well as the palate.” The time I spent exploring Genoa and learning from pasta makers there was a joy beyond measure. My latest book takes a new direction. It came about when a friend convinced me to adopt an Irish sight hound named Lily for my animal-loving oldest son. Through Lily, I met Marion Fitzgibbon in Ireland and many animal rescue people around the world. Initially, I thought they were out of their minds. And yet, I was fascinated by their radical compassion and sense of justice for those who cannot speak for themselves. I never saw the world the same way again. The result was The Dogs of Avalon: The Race To Save Animals in Peril, published by W.W. Norton in 2017. I live not farm from New York City, in New Jersey, where I love to read, garden, spend time with family and friends--and pursue new stories that fascinate me.