Greyhounds were bred to be the fastest dogs on earth. Yet for decades tens of thousands were destroyed, abandoned and abused each year when they couldn't run fast enough. Scrappy Marion Fitzgibbon became obsessed with saving these dogs when she became head of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Along with an American greyhound rescuer, a foxhunter's wife, a British Lady and a powerful German animal advocate, she fights to create a sanctuary where animals heal and thrive. Their pioneering work is part of a global movement to close race tracks and find homes for these misunderstood dogs. In this David versus Goliath story (including the rescue of her own dog, Lily), Schenone takes us into a complex world of impassioned people who stood up for millions of animals.

James Beard Award-winning author Laura Schenone undertakes a quest to retrieve her great grandmother's ravioli recipe, reuniting with relatives as she goes. In lyrical prose and delicious recipes, Schenone takes the reader on an unforgettable journey from the grit of New Jersey's industrial wastelands and the fast-paced disposable culture of its suburbs to the dramatically beautiful coast of Liguria the family's homeland with its pesto, smoked chestnuts, torte, and, most beloved of all, ravioli, the food of celebration and happiness. Schenone discovers the persistent importance of place, while offering a perceptive voice on immigration and ethnicity in its twilight. Along the way, she gives us the comedies and foibles of family life, a story of love and loss, a deeper understanding of the bonds between parents and children, and the mysteries of pasta, rolled into a perfect circle of gossamer dough."