How to Cook a Coyote

A New York Times Editors’ Choice
Kirkus Reviews, A Best Book of the Year
Alta, A Fall Most Anticipated Read

“Fond and bite-size . . . [Fussell] has long been among America’s earthiest and most cerebral cookery writers . . . One of the lessons of Fussell’s book is to stir what’s left of your wits and to, at all costs, keep your sense of humor intact. It functions like the little mesh on the halved lemon that keeps the pips from falling into your oysters.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times

“A feisty memoir that pays tribute to lessons learned and friendships forged during her adventurous life . . . Both smart and accessible, Fussell’s savvy musings are a welcome portrait of her robust appetite for life.” —Becky Meloan, The Washington Post

“How to Cook a Coyote: The Joy of Old Age (Counterpoint Press) is a joyous, invigorating romp through Fussell’s waning years, proving incredibly insightful and emotionally meaningful.” —Matt Kettmann, Santa Barbara Independent

“She writes, usually with humor, about her move from New York to a retirement home in California (where Julia Child also lived), dating later in life and much more, all with an awareness of her looming mortality.” —Christina Ianzito, AARP

“A slim and spicy rumination on sex, death, hunger, dancing, and the cycles of nature.” —Jeff Gordinier, Alta

“How to Cook a Coyote: The Joy of Old Age is bright and bubbling with humor. This is the story of a life well-lived.” —Anne Kallas, Edible Ojai & Venture County

“To read a memoir by a woman almost a century old is to be curious about her state of health and mind. How to Cook a Coyote: The Joy of Old Age comes as a refreshing relief: Old age may be part luck and part ordeal, but Betty Fussell is here to remind us of the joys to be found in staying alive . . . Tapping her vivid memories about friends, foes and lovers, most now deceased, Fussell relates stories with such intimate zeal that she starts to feel like an old friend. Her anecdotes are laced with comedy . . . How to Cook a Coyote might well be Fussell’s last recipe, a fact she jauntily admits, but it possesses a powerful, sustainable ingredient with enviable appeal: her own joie de vivre.” —Priscilla Kipp, BookPage

“[E]legant and often funny . . . A pleasure to read.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred reviews)

“Her sardonic autobiographical essays burst with memories of food, friendship, sexual passion, and globe-trotting adventures . . . The book’s 40 miniature essays are self-deprecating (‘There is no protection from time. Witness my body’) and often employ a playful, inviting direct address to the reader . . . These tongue-in-cheek essays remembering sensual joys are perfect for fans of Diana Athill, Ruth Reichl, and Abigail Thomas.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

“Fussell writes bravely about her limited future, still showing her sharp wit and keen sense of irony. She’s a bright example of savoring life and aging with grace.” —Booklist

“Essayist and food writer Fussell serves up a spirited meditation on aging and mortality in this vibrant memoir . . . It’s a graceful, gutsy ode to the pleasures and pains of growing old.” —Publishers Weekly