Marrying the Ketchups

A Novel

De: Jennifer Close

Narrado por: Cassandra Campbell

An irresistible comedy of manners about three generations of a Chicagorestaurant family and the deep-fried, beer-battered, cream cheese-frosted love that feeds them all—from the best-selling author of Girls in White Dresses

“Laugh-out-loud funny, and deeply resonant to our times. I was so happy to be in the Sullivan family’s Chicago bar, caught in the swirl of three generations of grudges, love affairs and fraught personal decisions.”
—Ann Napolitano, best-selling author of Dear Edward


Here are the three things the Sullivan family knows to be true: the Chicago Cubs will always be the underdogs; historical progress is inevitable; and their grandfather, Bud, founder of JP Sullivan’s, will always make the best burgers in Oak Park. But when, over the course of three strange months, the Cubs win the World Series, Trump is elected president, and Bud drops dead, suddenly everyone in the family finds themselves doubting all they hold dear.

Take Gretchen for example, lead singer for a ’90s cover band who has been flirting with fame for a decade but is beginning to wonder if she’s too old to be chasing a childish dream. Or Jane, Gretchen’s older sister, who is starting to suspect that her fitness-obsessed husband who hides the screen of his phone isn’t always “working late.” And then there’s Teddy, their steadfast, unfailingly good cousin, nursing heartbreak and confusion because the guy who dumped him keeps showing up for lunch at JP Sullivan’s where Teddy is the manager. How can any of them be expected to make the right decisions when the world feels sideways—and the bartender at JP Sullivan’s makes such strong cocktails?

Outrageously funny and wickedly astute, Marrying the Ketchups is a delicious confection by one of our most beloved authors.

©2022 Jennifer Close (P)2022 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Riveting… [Close has] a knack…of inventing story lines that have the feel of extremely good gossip told across a hightop table over a beer with an old friend. Always, I wanted to stay for another, just to hear more… Propulsiveness is a quality that’s hard to explain and harder still to teach — but if Jennifer Close ever felt like running a course on it, I’d sign up.”
—Liz Moore, The New York Times

“Everything’s falling apart: Jane Sullivan’s marriage, her sister’s band, their cousin’s relationship. All are drawn back to the Chicago eatery their grandfather founded. Weaving her story around the restaurant, the Cubs’ fortunes and the mood after the 2016 election, Close serves up a treat.”
—Robin Micheli and Marion Winik, People Magazine

“Close...drops readers smack into Oak Park, a leafy Chicago suburb, and lets them hear the hiss of fryers hitting hot oil and catch an ice-cold Old Style sliding across the bar… Close lets each character's unique personality shine. Fans of Tracey Lange's We Are the Brennans and Taylor Jenkins Reid's Malibu Rising will fall in love with these maddening, loving, stubborn relatives. Setting nostalgia against progress, tradition against rebirth, Close outlines the cousins' grief and personal growth as they work with, and against, one another.”
—Booklist, starred

Ahhhhh! It’s Ani not Annie

The book was a solid 4 stars- loved it. Took a while to get into the hook, and a handle on who is who but once I got it, I was fully engaged.

The audio drove me a little nuts. Mainly the Ani DiFranco part…. Eeeek- I can’t handle that mispronunciation. She had a Canadian sounding “ou”… I almost wished it was a Chicago accent.

Lovely family story

First, I don’t write reviews. But this book deserves positive reviews. Yes, there were a lot of characters. However the way the characters weave in and out of each other’s lives and conversation makes the story work. In the end it is about how we all survive without the family member(s) that were the glue and connected us.

Worthwhile

Close is masterful at character development as well as weaving the characters in and out thru out the story. And the title alone should make you want to read the book!

Easy Listen

I really enjoyed this book because I am familiar with the setting of Chicago neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs. The story is relatable to anyone from a big family!

Charming story

This is a lovely tale about a Chicago family and their trials and tribulations. It’s got a bit of social commentary undertone, which I felt was an enhancement. There were some LOL moments. Good choice for me.

nice story

Entertainingly fun to read. Our Republician bookclub members took offense to Trump comments. Silly. lol

So Good!

I wasn’t sure what to expect because I had no idea what “marrying the ketchups” meant! Set in 2016-2017, it’s the story of a family and how they manage their individual lives against the backdrop of a Trump presidency, the Cubs’ World Series win, and the #MeToo movement. The narration was excellent and I feel like these characters will stay with me for a long time.

ENTERTAINING READ

This book caught the eye of one of my customers. I own a small breakfast and lunch restaurant on a resort island. This is either a true story. or the author certainly has done her homework! my customer generally comes in late, and hears us talking while we do our "sidework" marrying the ketchup is no one's favorite!
It's about time someone wrote a true to life novel based around a restaurant! Great read, funny, and yes, right on a day in the life if a restaurant worker!

Ok read

The book just talks about peoples lives with no ending story or plot, so I give it 3 stars

Entertaining

Cute story. Lots of characters but the main ones keep you interested. I liked it.