Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club

J. Ryan Stradal

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

From the New York Times bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal, a story of a couple from two very different restaurant families in rustic Minnesota, and the legacy of love and tragedy, of hardship and hope, that unites and divides them Mariel Prager needs a break. Her husband Ned is having an identity crisis, her spunky, beloved restaurant is bleeding money by the day, and her mother Florence is stubbornly refusing to leave the church where she’s been holed up for more than a week. The Lakeside Supper Club has been in her family for decades, and while Mariel’s grandmother embraced the business, seeing it as a saving grace, Florence never took to it. When Mariel inherited the restaurant, skipping Florence, it created a rift between mother and daughter that never quite healed. Ned is also an heir—to a chain of home-style diners—and while he doesn't have a head for business, he knows his family's chain could provide a better future than his wife's fading restaurant. In the aftermath of a devastating tragedy, Ned and Mariel lose almost everything they hold dear, and the hard-won victories of each family hang in the balance. With their dreams dashed, can one fractured family find a way to rebuild despite their losses, and will the Lakeside Supper Club be their salvation? In this colorful, vanishing world of relish trays and brandy Old Fashioneds, J. Ryan Stradal has once again given us a story full of his signature honest, lovable yet fallible Midwestern characters as they grapple with love, loss, and marriage; what we hold onto and what we leave behind; and what our legacy will be when we are gone.


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  • TotallyBooked
    Aug 13, 2024
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  • Mar 24, 2025
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  • bookgang
    Mar 30, 2025
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     I became enchanted with Stradal's quirky Midwestern storylines when he debuted his novel Kitchens of the Great Midwest, and had the joy of interviewing him on his writing process for that novel. Stradal dedicated his third novel to his son, Auden, who, after a long and challenging journey to conceive, was born shortly after completing the first draft of this book. He warmly shares that he finished this book while Auden napped beside him, describing his heart as filled and incredulous. 

    It's why this novel takes such a different emotional turn for us as a reader, as he explores these same themes in this story of family and legacy, set in rustic Minnesota.

    This novel tackles heavier themes, straying from the quirkier elements of his storytelling and bravely exploring grief and parenthood. I urge readers to do their homework if this will be difficult to read. 

    In this story, Mariel Prager faces a series of daunting challenges. Her husband, Ned, is struggling with his identity, her family's beloved restaurant is on the verge of financial ruin, and her relationship with her mother, Florence, remains strained. 

    When tragedy strikes, Mariel and Ned are forced to confront their losses and decide whether to fight for their dreams or let them go. Set in the colorful world of Midwestern supper clubs and featuring Stradal's signature lovable yet flawed characters, this poignant and heartfelt novel explores themes of love, loss, and the legacy we leave behind.

    Although the novel tackles heavier themes than Stradal's previous work, it is still infused with his signature Midwestern dishes and drinks. 

    The Stradal signature sparkle felt missing from this one, and it took me a while to find my rhythm. This story sometimes felt disjointed with its non-linear narrative structure and four viewpoints. I did enjoy the familial themes and grew fond of these characters as the story progressed, but it took me a while to hook me. 

    If this feels too melancholy for your summer stack, give The Kindred Spirits Super Club a spin for lighter reading fare in a supper club setting. Even though this didn't end up being my favorite of his books, I will read anything Stradal writes and would encourage readers to acquaint themselves with his stories- you won't be disappointed. 
     

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