When Emily's heart was broken by the love of her life, she never imagined that she would find herself, just two years later, running a small restaurant in what used to be her grandmother's tiny hat shop. The Food of Love offers diners the possibility of friendship (and maybe more) as well as a delicious meal. And even though Emily has sworn off romance forever, it doesn't stop her hoping for happiness for her regulars, like widower Bill who hides a troubling secret, single mum Heather who ran away from home as a teenager, and gentle Astrid whose past is darker than any of her friends know.
Then, out of the blue, Emily receives a letter from her ex. He's returning home to Ireland and wants to see her. Is Emily brave enough to give love a second chance -- or wise enough to figure out where it's truly to be found?
Many thanks to Hachette Ireland for my copy of The Restaurant to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Oh Roisin Meaney, what an absolute gem of a book you have written in writing The Restaurant. It’s a warm hug of a read that embraces you from page one and doesn’t relinquish its hold until the very last page. I’m a huge fan of Roisin’s books set on the fictional island of Roone and they will always hold a special place in my heart but this new book is an utter triumph and truly something very special indeed. This story follows numerous characters all interconnected by their love of the unique restaurant named The Food of Love which Emily Feeney has created.
There is nothing like it anywhere else and it’s a place which brings solace and comfort to those who need it and which provides many opportunities for love to find those who are crying out for it. The story is like a little series or snapshots into the characters lives and there was a danger that each subplot could have read as a little short story, therefore becoming disconnected and disjointed from the main plot, but thankfully this didn’t occur. Instead all the various storylines merge together into one wonderful read that I devoured in one sitting whilst spending a pleasant afternoon relaxing in the garden.
Such elegant, evocative, honest and emotional writing that deals with some pretty serious issues quickly transports you deep into the hearts and minds of the characters to make for one beautifully crafted read that deserves much success.
Emily inherited her grandmothers millinery shop and the flat above it but as she knew nothing about hats she decided to transform the small space into a restaurant. It’s designed to comfort the lonely and offer friendship and support where people can come and eat, chat and exchange stories. In doing this Emily feels that she is doing something right and worthwhile considering her own personal life and planned future fell apart when she discovered her partner Fergal was not all he was cracked up to be and she was dumped on her wedding day. Emily has decided there will not be a next time when it comes to Fergal. She has learnt her lesson and thinks hearts are best left in their owner’s possession. She will surrender to nobody and keep her heart safe and protected. Emily channels her anger, loneliness, frustration and sadness into this new venture and she feels that she is doing good in the world.
What sets this restaurant apart from the many others out there is that there is limited seating and Emily has put communal dining in place. So people may find themselves sitting beside or opposite any sort of character and will have to engage in conversation. The simple yet heartwarming concept of the restaurant was so unique and special and I think Emily knew she was on to a winner but little did she realise just how much her idea would prove to be so beneficial to so many people. In doing this, she was trying to heal her own heart after enduring such hurt and perhaps by helping others she would be able to help herself move forward. Maybe not so much in the romance department as she feels this has become a closed book but in other aspects of her life she would hopefully feel better about herself.
Yes, of course the descriptions of the food were fabulous and so carefully thought out but food wasn’t the sole focus of the book despite the title and themes. Instead the various customers that visit, some of which become firm friends with Emily, take centre stage and it’s the fact that the reader gets to hear each story told in alternating chapters from the different viewpoints that makes this read absorbing and deeply gratifying. All the little connections between everyone that slowly start to become apparent are so wonderfully woven together. The reader can join the dots but the characters don’t really until towards the end so this allows them to take things at face value where as I was making judgements far too quickly.
Bill feels like the restaurant is a home for him as he is widowed and his daughter Christine is more or less estranged from him. She is in a deep dark place that Bill can’t reach and although he tries his best to help her. Unless someone has reached that point where they are willing to accept help then all he can do is wait. Bill was really lost and he craved some love in his life as he feels so lonely. He is heartbroken and in pain and needs someone to put him back together again. He feels such guilt that the situation with Christine is all his own fault and over the course of the story he develops a fondness that morphs into something greater. But he harbours this to himself and all you really want to be able to say to him is Bill just go for it what have you got to lose? Bill writes to an agony aunt in a local newspaper and she offers him advice but it’s the restaurant and the people he meets, in particular the amazing 93 year old Austrian Astrid, that offer him the connections and advice he so desperately needs. I had my suspicions about the agony aunt letters the entire way through this book and I was proven correct, I thought it was so very clever and really helped the book come full circle.
Astrid was just the most amazing character, written with such compassion and warmth and including her family history from the war years went a long way in explaining how she feels at this stage in her life. Astrid was introduced to the café by Heather who was originally from America and who was actually the first customer that Emily greeted. Again Heather was another brilliantly written character, in fact all the female characters were excellent. They wore their heart on their sleeves and although I can’t say that they were strong all the time but they knew just what to say to each other to help each other out and by doing this it as like all their carefully packed away emotions came spilling out.
Heather is a single mum who is doing her best for her child. She works so hard doing odd jobs and is so independent and is like a jack of all trades. I loved how she always said what she thought and knows what she likes and doesn’t like. But despite an affluent childhood she was neglected and the lack of communication with her parents eats away at her. She has a lot to cope with but the past needs to be resolved before she can truly embrace the future. Heather almost seemed older and wiser than her years. She arrived in Ireland at such a young age but the way she went about things and her kind and caring nature particularly when it came to Astrid meant I had nothing but admiration and respect for her.
There is so much that happens over the course of this story that it could have all become rushed and forced with endless events and situations being flung at the reader leaving little or no time to digest anything but Roisin Meaney paced everything to absolute perfection. There are many complexities to deal with but it all felt so natural and it was like all the characters combined to make one big family unit with The Food of Love as their base. Admittedly halfway through the book I found Emily’s actions really went against everything she had professed in relation to her life as outlined in the earlier chapters. I thought what on earth are you doing? She looked to be making the biggest mistake of her life and I think Heather and Astrid could see this too, but they knew not to force things but rather to be there to deal with the fallout if indeed that did happen. If Emily had not come up with such a brilliant idea to transform her grandmother's shop than all this fantastic characters I got to read about would never have met each other and their hearts, souls, minds and problems would never have been exposed in the extraordinary and admirable way in which they were.
If you want a special read to take you away from the world in which we live in today and all the problems in it then I would highly recommend The Restaurant. I loved every minute of it and didn’t want it to end. It’s crying out for a sequel/catch up with all the characters or even to introduce new characters. Hint hint Roisin Meaney. Even if a full length book is not possible, a short story would make me very happy. It’s definitely one for the keeper shelf and it will take pride of place alongside all the other books from this talented Irish writer.
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