A review by theresaalan41
Dinner Party by Brenda Janowitz

4.0

The tension in this book is subtle. For the first part of the novel, the tension comes from a family wanting to impress another family at Seder. The Golds’ daughter, Becca, is dating Henry, who is a Rothschild—a prominent family. Becca is hard-working and going to medical school, but Henry got kicked out of college and now is doing nothing—not working, not going to school, and not worrying about his future one bit. Other tension in the book comes from another daughter, Sarah, being with a non-Jew who took over his father’s garage, which is not prestigious enough for Sarah’s mother. There is a son, Gideon, who is in Sri Lanka with Doctors Without Borders. The family drama is understated and sometimes you just what to throttle these people, but it’s an interesting read.