Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club

In his third novel, best-selling author Stradal (The Lager Queen of Minnesota) returns to his Minnesotan roots, creating a multigenerational novel about two restaurant families struggling to survive in the tough food industry. Ned, heir to a chain of upper Midwest diners, feels unprepared and unenthusiastic about taking over the family business, while his wife, Mariel, has inherited the Lakeside Supper Club in rural Minnesota from her grandparents. Both Ned and Mariel are surrounded by quirky and somewhat toxic family members and coworkers, and they struggle to decide which of their families’ dreams should die or be revived. Audiences looking for an ode to the upper Midwest will be satisfied, although the tragedies Ned and Mariel face might upset some listeners hoping for more lighthearted fare. Narrator Aspen Vincent competently voices the different characters and provides a smooth listening experience, but listeners wanting northern Minnesotan accents will be disappointed. While timeline jumps can be difficult in audio format, chapter headings are titled with character name and date, ensuring an effortless listen.