The Dinner Party

February 1, 2016
This Passover, Sylvia Gold has only one thing on her mind: how can she impress her youngest daughter Becca's new beau and his family, an old-money banking dynasty that dates back to New York's gilded age? For many mothers it would have been enough to have three healthy, successful grown children, two of whom have followed in their father's footsteps and pursued careers in medicine. It would have been enough to have an adoring husband who finds her social-climbing antics endearing. And it would have been enough to have a beautiful home in Greenwich, Connecticut, and want for nothing. But Sylvia has never been one to say dayenu, the traditional Passover prayer of gratitude and contentment. The neurotic matriarch works herself into a tizzy to win over potential in-laws Edmond and Ursella Rothchild and their boorish son, Henry. This does not sit well with daughter Sarah, whose blue-collar boyfriend, Joe, has always been treated like chopped liver. Novelist Janowitz (Lonely Hearts Club, 2015, etc.) adds to the family drama by setting places at the Seder table for wayward son Gideon and his surprise fiancee, Malika, who's African-American, and for Joe's boisterous mother, Valentina, whose husband is up the river--and not the Nile. With an impeccable eye for detail, Janowitz skillfully creates scenarios and relationships so authentic that they're simultaneously hilarious and cringe-worthy. Equally compelling is the cast of emotionally complex, nuanced characters who are lovable even at their most exasperating. The only shortcoming with this dramedy is that it finishes too quickly, the conclusion reading more like a chapter ending than the wrap-up this tale deserves. Despite its rush to the end, this novel delivers poignant universal truths about familial love and conflict in a story that will have readers eagerly turning every delicious page. Thoroughly kosher.

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February 15, 2016

"Why is this night different from all other nights?" Because coming to the Golds' Passover seder are Ursella and Edmond Rothschild, the parents of daughter Becca's boyfriend Henry. Sylvia Gold even hires a chef to prepare the meal she normally cooks herself (and serves a Rothschild wine). The evening has to be special, so the Rothschilds know that the Golds are up to their standard. Alan, Sylvia's pediatric cardiologist husband, is on board if it makes his wife happy. Daughter Sarah will miss her mother's brisket, but at least her boyfriend Joe Russo (more on that later) and his mother, Valentina, are guests as well. Sarah is a magazine editor, and Becca is in medical school. Son Gideon is in Sri Lanka with Doctors Without Borders. Henry doesn't actually do anything. A lovely table has been set and chef Michael is making the foie gras (chopped liver), so what could go wrong? VERDICT Janowitz's (The Lonely Hearts Club) latest title considers class divisions, but more so it skewers family distinctions, revealing how each member is vital to the functioning of the whole. The author's fans and readers who enjoy tales of family dynamics will devour this title.--Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016
The Gold family celebrates the Passover seder together every year. Matriarch Sylvia wants this seder to be extra special because her youngest daughter, Becca, is bringing her boyfriend and his parents. This is no ordinary meet-the-parents, however, as they are part of the legendary Rothschild family. Sylvia goes a little overboard in her preparationsshe even hires a famous chef to cook the dinner. Her other daughter, Sarah, finds these preparations especially egregious, as Sylvia has never done anything remotely as grand for Sarah's longtime (and non-Jewish) beau, Joe. Things get even more chaotic when son Gideon arrives with his new fiancee. Through the course of dinner, secrets are exposed and resentments are aired. Can the family recover in time for the High Holy Days? There are a lot of characters, but other than Gideon's fiancee, each member of the different families is fully realized and three dimensional. Readersboth those who familiar with Passover rites and traditions and those who are notwill enjoy reading this uplifting family drama.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)