Yerba Buena

A story about drinks, food, trauma, family, friendship, and, above all, love. In Yerba Buena , Nina LaCour masterfully writes a love story perfect for our time.

When Sara Foster runs away from home at 16, she leaves behind the innocent and hopeful girl she once was. Years later, in Los Angeles, she's a hotshot bartender, famous for both her signature drinks and the aura of mystery surrounding her. Until one day, she's invited to design the drinks menu for a renowned restaurant in the city: Yerba Buena.

On the other side of Los Angeles, Emilie Dubois seems to live a life in perpetual suspense, longing to be more involved with her family, her studies, and her Creole heritage, but unable to commit to anything. On impulse, she takes a job at a florist and begins preparing flower arrangements for one of the city's most popular restaurants.

The morning Emilie and Sara meet at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate; they seem made for each other. However, Sara's past comes back to haunt her as Emilie searches for purpose in life. Will their feelings be stronger than the odds?

Yerba Buena is proof of the healing power of a shared meal, a well-prepared drink, and a space where we feel safe. A moving book about feelings, friendships, and family. About brothers, sisters, and traveling companions. About sex and how our bodies are much more honest with us than our words. And about the relationships that comfort, soothe, and restore us when life demands too much of us.

“ Yerba Buena is a book filled with sadness and hope, food and flowers, complications and compromises, love, loss, and lessons learned the hard way. But mostly, love.” — Laurie Frankel

“It brings to light the traumas Sara and Emilie deal with, as well as hope and recovery... Its flavor lingers like a perfect drink.” — San Francisco Chronicle