Heartburn.

EPHRON, Nora.

$600.00

Item Number: 148240

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983.

First edition of this humorous novel. Octavo, original half-cloth. Presentation copy, warmly inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “For Stella – With my best wishes for a happy birthday and an absolute minimum of heartburn – Nora Ephron.” Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by John Alcorn.

Heartburn (1983) by Nora Ephron is a semi-autobiographical novel that blends sharp humor with emotional candor to explore themes of betrayal, identity, and resilience. Based on the breakdown of Ephron’s own marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein, the novel follows food writer Rachel Samstat as she navigates pregnancy and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. Ephron’s distinctive narrative voice—wry, self-deprecating, and incisively observant—transforms personal pain into a compelling story that critiques gender roles, romantic idealism, and the emotional labor expected of women. By interweaving recipes with confessional prose, Ephron creates a unique narrative structure that underscores the connection between food, memory, and emotional survival.