For more than a century the Moore and the Pogociello families have been at war. A chicken war. Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s are two similar fried chicken eateries set up by sisters in the late 19th century in the small town of Merinac, Kansas. In KJ Dell’Antonia’s The Chicken Sisters, this long-held rivalry, passed down through generations, will be played out on the television show Food Wars for everyone to see, now that Amanda, a descendant of Mimi’s, has signed both restaurants up for it.
Alienated by her critical, deploring mother after marrying Frank Pogociello, the great-great-grandson of the original Frannie’s, Amanda found refuge in her husband’s family. After the death of her husband and father-in-law, she’s been left to manage Chicken Frannie’s alongside her mother-in-law, together struggling month-to-month to break even, wondering if it’s even worth continuing with the restaurant. Winning the $100k prize from Food Wars — along with the nationwide exposure — is exactly what Chicken Frannie’s and Chicken Mimi’s need to turn things around.
However, she’ll need her sister’s help convincing her grump of a mother to do it. Mae, the eldest of the two and their mother’s favorite, wants nothing to do with either of them, their homes, the restaurants or even the town of Merinac. Mae left her life in Kansas years ago. Climbing her way up the ladder anyway she could, Mae left for New York where she married, had kids, published a book on organization and even hosts her own lifestyle show, Sparkling, which also focuses on organization and minimalization (think: Tidying Up With Marie Kondo). But when her bosses at Sparkling decide to let her go, Mae has no choice but to run back to Merinac, see this thing with Food Wars through, and hope that it opens some other doors for her.
However, the show is set up to bring out the worst in the competitors, taking the show out of the kitchens and into the contestants’ personal lives. Mae and Amanda’s sibling rivalry escalates under the circumstances, their mother thrown under the bus along with secrets that compromise her entire livelihood as they’re flailed about on national TV for the whole world to see and pass judgment on.
Just when it looks like the rift between families is beyond salvaging, it’s soon revealed that Frannie’s has copied Mimi’s original chicken recipe, Mae accusing Amanda of stealing it. Both restaurants come to the brink of losing everything, long-standing customers and reputation in tow. For Mae and Amanda, more than just the restaurants, it’s a fraying bond at stake, now hanging by a thread, as well as the opportunity to do something more with their lives.
In The Chicken Sisters, Dell’Antonia expertly delves into the nuances of dysfunctional families. Told through the POVs of Amanda and Mae, intermittently, Dell’Antonia is able to play, with a delicate balance, the perspective on both sides of the field. We understand the grievances from each side of the feud, understand the conviction with which each side holds on to their grudges, and root for both, even if we think the feud ultimately silly and a waste of energy.
Light and pleasant, The Chicken Sisters is a fun and delightful read, as we follow the Moores and the Pogociellos, whose broken family systems, in many ways, reflect the quirkiness and aggravation found within our own. But far more than mirroring the nuisances of familial ties, it reminds us of the power of family when everyone decides to come together for a common cause.