Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close

MARRYING THE KETCHUPS by Jennifer Close is a fun story about a restaurant family who live in the Chicago area. Frequent references to Oak Park and Lake Forest, plus the 2016 election add local connection and some amusement. Close begins the story in 2016 with the “unfamiliar experience of watching the Cubs in October” at Sullivan’s, founded decades ago by Bud and Rose. The majority of the action centers around their adult grandchildren: Gretchen, just moved back from NYC after quitting her band; Jane, mother to Lauren and Owen and struggling to find herself as she contemplates divorce; Teddy, feeling disrespected despite his restaurant experience and unhappy with his relationship with ex-lover Walter; and Riley, Teddy’s much younger half-sister who supplies some typical teenage angst. All in all, a pretty dysfunctional group and that makes for tension, but the best part is near the end when each manages to start fresh. Perhaps we will see a sequel soon? Full of realistic, relatable characters, MARRYING THE KETCHUPS received a starred review from Booklist.