The Dinner Party

A Novel

By: Viola van de Sandt

Narrated by: Roze Elisa

For fans of Cleopatra and Frankenstein and Assembly, an intimate and darkly propulsive story told over the course of a dinner party, from its careful preparation through its explosive, irrevocable finish, about the tensions of love and autonomy, grief and female rage, and the surprising moments when they come crashing to the surface.

Franca left the Netherlands behind to start her new life in England with Andrew. Andrew, whose parents lived in South Kensington but had a flat their son could “borrow” nearby. Andrew, an old-fashioned British gentleman who encourages her not to work but to instead focus on her writing. Andrew who suggests a dinner party with his colleagues to celebrate their big upcoming launch.

A dinner party that Franca must plan and shop and cook and clean for. A dinner party during a heatwave when the fridge breaks, alcohol replaces water, and an unexpected guest joins their ranks, upending the careful balance between everything Franca once was and now is…

Expertly weaving the past and present with precision and delicious tension, The Dinner Party is a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at female rage, body autonomy, and all the concessions women make throughout their lives—big and small—until the surprising moment when they decide they can make them no longer.

Critic reviews

One of Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025

“Raw, compassionate, and compelling—what a beautiful world we live in where a book can be messy and tender all at once.”
—Lit Hub

“The Dinner Party is a profoundly confronting and claustrophobic novel which consumed me whole. It’s tender, astonishing, and unflinching, and a deeply moving portrayal of experiencing sexual trauma in the domestic. Warning, dear reader, side effects may include utter speechlessness, a deep sinking feeling, and staring at walls for prolonged periods upon turning its final pages.” —Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

“An intimate, provocative, and irresistible debut. I was mesmerized.”—Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins

“Mesmerizing . . . A visceral, powerful novel about grief and trauma and identity; it will make you cringe and flinch, laugh and cry.”—Naomi Kelsey, author of The Burnings

"Relentlessly engrossing and seething with suspense from the first to the very last word." —Charlotte Paradise, author of Overspill