Three Martini Lunch

Title: Three-Martini Lunch
Author: Suzanne Rindell
Published: April 5, 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 512
Source: Publisher via Penguin's First To Read
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

In 1958, Greenwich Village buzzes with beatniks, jazz clubs, and new ideas—the ideal spot for three ambitious young people to meet. Cliff Nelson, the son of a successful book editor, is convinced he’s the next Kerouac, if only his father would notice. Eden Katz dreams of being an editor but is shocked when she encounters roadblocks to that ambition. And Miles Tillman, a talented black writer from Harlem, seeks to learn the truth about his father’s past, finding love in the process. Though different from one another, all three share a common goal: to succeed in the competitive and uncompromising world of book publishing. As they reach for what they want, they come to understand what they must sacrifice, conceal, and betray to achieve their goals, learning they must live with the consequences of their choices. In Three-Martini Lunch, Suzanne Rindell has written both a page-turning morality tale and a captivating look at a stylish, demanding era—and a world steeped in tradition that’s poised for great upheaval.

My review:

This novel takes a bit to get going, but once it does, it's fantastic! I absolutely loved the idea that it takes place around the book publishing world (how many of us would secretly love to be a book editor or write the next great novel?). The three main characters were well drawn, and I loved that each had their own dreams that were not the same, but yet which ultimately drew them together. The book is told in chapters with each of the three main characters taking turns, and I thought it created a good flow to the story. A good depiction of the time period, especially the social moral codes that were present in that day. I found myself sympathizing with each character at some point, and then wanting to slap some sense into them in the next. I loved that even though I usually knew what was going to happen before it did, I could smugly think "I told you that was going to happen". Rindell also did a nice job with the supporting characters, particularly Cliff's father.

While this may take a few pages to get going, it's well worth it in the end. It's a highly enjoyable story about the publishing world and an era of change in the country.