Stop Here

Starred review from August 19, 2013
Gologorsky’s second novel, like her first, examines the lives of working class families impacted by war—this time by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The tie that binds is Murray’s Diner, where Ava, Mila, Nick, Rosalyn, and Bruce work their shifts, living from paycheck to paycheck (though Rosalyn’s secret side life as an escort puts her financially ahead of her colleagues). The author treats each singular story line with insight, compassion, and no sentimentality. Ava lost her husband to the Iraq War and has a son who never knew his father. Her vulnerability is epitomized by a romantic encounter in the diner that goes horribly awry. Mila’s daughter, Darla, sees military enlistment as the only way to a better life, while ignoring the potentially devastating consequences. Nick, a war vet, hates working for Murray and is devastated when his daughter, Glory, joins up with an antiwar collective in the Middle East. And, for contrast, there is Murray’s new wife, Sylvie, who seems to have it all—but the author ably shows that appearances often mask a complicated and troubled interior. Gologorsky’s first novel, The Things We Do to Make It Home, won accolades for its luminous prose and remarkable insight into human nature. Her second outing continues those first impressions. Agent: Melanie Jackson, Melanie Jackson Agency.

October 1, 2013
Can a diner be the center of a universe? For Gologorsky's well-drawn characters, regulars at Murray's Diner on Long Island, it very well may be. Ava, Mila, and Roselyn are waitresses and friends. Sylvie, Murray's new wife, cooks. Bruce and Nick, along with their families, friends, and connections, form an interactive and supportive community. There is an undercurrent of war and fear that touches them all. One is a widow from the first Gulf War, one carries mental baggage from the Vietnam War, and daughters and sons consider responding to the current military conflicts. Their fragile security is threatened by the inevitable changes that life brings. Change isn't about taking chances. . . . It's about using time differently, one character wisely concludes. The hard realities associated with growth, change, love, and death affect all, but the repercussions seem especially gritty in this working-class setting. Gologorsky's writing is clean and spare as she gives each character her or his own specific voice and presents an unflinching, caring view of the world, well worth our time to see.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)