Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB by J. Ryan Stradal (Kitchens of the Great Midwest; The Lager Queen of Minnesota) is an intriguing look at restaurant business in Minnesota, filtered through the eyes of two very different restaurant families. It is also a multi-generational story, told from the viewpoints of several characters and set at different time periods (1934, 1940, 1980’s, 1996). Part of the jumping around is between Betty (who struggles to raise daughter Florence until they meet Floyd and find a home at his restaurant), Florence herself, who wants to escape the supper club, and her daughter, Mariel, who unconditionally loves the place. Then there are the well-off owners of Jorby’s, a growing chain in the Midwest: Edward, and his children, Ned and Carla. All of which can be confusing in places, but Stradal writes beautifully: “the core of their bond was so solid they could argue without hurting each other. Arguments are the leaves and the relationship is the trunk … One comes and goes, and the other doesn’t change, except to get stronger.” A perceptive tale about family dynamics and finding identity through work, SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB received a starred review from Kirkus (“A loving ode to supper clubs, the Midwest, and the people there who try their best to make life worth living.”) I also enjoyed listening to the audio book – with so much going on, this title could work well for book groups and the publisher provides a discussion guide.