J. Ryan Stradal and Family Dramas
I enjoy reading novels set in Minnesota. Minnesota-born author J. Ryan Stradal is known for his multigenerational novels with distinctly Minnesota settings. J. Ryan Stradal will be speaking at the Fergus Falls Public Library on Monday, June 30 at 6pm*. He will be in conversation with book enthusiast Sarah Thacker. This event is a great opportunity to learn more about his books and writing process. I encourage readers who enjoy family dramas to try out one of Stradal’s three novels, currently on display at the library. They make for wonderful summer reading by the lake.
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
Ever since she was young, Eva has had an incredible palate. Growing up in Minnesota, a land of sometimes bland food, Eva discovers a growing Midwest foodie culture. Eva’s coming of age story is intertwined with the stories of those around her. Each chapter is structured around a different ingredient or dish: lutefisk, chocolate habanero, walleye, and my favorite “bars” (the dessert.) You can’t miss the reference to Fergus Falls in the first chapter!
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
The publisher’s tagline for this book is “A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer.” Stradal writes about two sisters, one who starts a brewery, and the other who bakes award-winning pies. Told also from a granddaughter’s perspective, Stradal writes from multiple points of view about complicated women and their relationships with each other.
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
I love the opening lines of this novel, “Mariel Prager believed in heaven, because she’d been there once, so far. She’d like to report that it looks an awful lot like Minnesota.” In his latest novel, three generations of Minnesotans grapple with their legacies as owners of a supper club in the fictional town of Bear Jaw Lake. Stradal’s writing is transportative, making this an especially fitting summer read.
Fans of J. Ryan Stradal looking for more family dramas may also enjoy:
Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners by Gretchen Anthony
Cerise has recently moved back to Minneapolis with her partner Barb (or her “roommate” as Barb is referred to in the family Christmas letter). Thus ensues a hilarious and often frustrating year in the lives of the Baumgartners and their neighbors. This is a contemporary, feel good story with distinctly Minnesotan characters.
We are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
I loved this family drama about the close knit, Irish Catholic Brennan family running a family pub in New York. The chapters switch perspectives, following multiple generations as they reconcile with secrets from the past. I tore through this in two nights.
Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Two families living next door to each other in New York have multiple ties to each other–the fathers work together as rookie police officers, the children are friends of a similar age–until tragedy changes their futures. Years later the families are still grappling with the fallout. This is a darker family drama with well-drawn characters.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
In this novel set during the pandemic, 57-year-old Lara enjoys unexpected time with her three adult daughters, each of whom has returned to the safe oasis of their Michigan cherry farm. Lara tells them the story of her relationship with a now-famous actor. Over the course of many days, while picking sweet cherries, she slowly unravels the story of her young adult years spent pursuing acting. Fans of character-driven novels will enjoy this one. The library’s book club is discussing this book in July.
I am looking forward to reading “Marrying the Ketchups” by Jennifer Close, a novel about a Chicago family restaurant and the three generations of a family that own it. If you have a multi-generational family drama you love, please recommend it to me the next time you come to the library.
*This program is sponsored by Fergus Falls Public Library and Viking Library System. This project was funded in part or in whole with monies from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.
Katelyn Boyer is the Adult Services Librarian at the Fergus Falls Public Library