National bestselling author Erica Bauermeister returns to the enchanting world of The School of Essential Ingredients in this luminous sequel. Lillian and her restaurant have a way of drawing people together. There s Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers and ritual; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn t learned to trust after heartbreak; Finnegan, quiet and steady as a tree, who can disappear into the background despite his massive height; Louise, Al s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp. And there s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn t expect. . . . Their lives collide and mix with those around them, sometimes joining in effortless connections, at other times sifting together and separating again, creating a family that is chosen, not given. A beautifully imagined novel about the ties that bind and links that break The Lost Art of Mixing is a captivating meditation on the power of love, food, and companionship."