LAST NIGHT AT THE LOBSTER, by Stewart O'Nan

A deceptive title of a small-appearing book that is so very big in scope. O'Nan, one of the high-energy instructors at the Writers in Paradise workshop at St. Petersburg FL's Eckerd College, spent nearly a year of researching and then writing this little gem. What's the mystifying title about? The very last night of business at a New England Red Lobster Restaurant as seen through the eyes of the manager, Manny DeLeon. Full of regrets and dashed hopes, O'Nan manages to infuse the hopelessness and angst of Manny and his not-so-loyal employees while giving a full-blown portrayal of both the faithful manager, the unfaithful boyfriend (both are Manny), and his employees. And a blizzard. Fact? Fiction? Who cares, it's a perfect read. Give it a 5, you'll probably become a devotee of this master of the telling detail and his sensitive and searching take on these unnoticed worlds.
www.stewart-onan.com