Novelist Jennifer Close Presents “Marrying the Ketchups” At The Book Stall

On Thursday, April 28th at 6:30 PM, The Book Stall welcomes novelist Jennifer Close as we celebrate the release of her new Chicago-based novel, Marrying the Ketchups, already a Book Stall favorite! Ms. Close will be in conversation with best-selling author Elizabeth Berg. This program is co-sponsored by 501 Local, a neighborhood bistro located on the corner of Chestnut and Oak in Winnetka, and is free and open to the public.

Thanks to 501 Local, attendees can participate in a raffle and win prizes including free copies of Marrying the Ketchups, a novel set in a Chicago-area family-owned restaurant, as well as gift cards to 501!

More About the Book: The Sullivan family knows three things: the Chicago Cubs will always be the underdogs; historical progress is inevitable; and their grandfather, Bud, founder of JP Sullivan’s, will always make the best burgers in Oak Park. But when, over the course of three strange months, the Cubs win the World Series, Trump is elected president, and Bud drops dead, suddenly everyone in the family finds themselves doubting all they hold dear. Gretchen, the lead singer for a ’90s cover band, has been flirting with fame for a decade, but is beginning to wonder if she’s too old to be chasing a childish dream. Jane, Gretchen’s older sister, is starting to suspect that her fitness-obsessed husband who hides the screen of his phone isn’t always “working late.” Teddy, their steadfast, unfailingly good cousin, nurses heartbreak and confusion because the guy who dumped him keeps showing up for lunch at JP Sullivan’s, where Teddy is the manager. Outrageously funny and wickedly astute, Marrying the Ketchups is a delicious confection by one of our most beloved authors.

About the Author: Jennifer Close is the best-selling author of Girls in White Dresses, The Smart One, and The Hopefuls. Born and raised on the North Shore of Chicago, she is a graduate of Boston College and received her MFA in Fiction Writing from the New School. She now lives in Washington, DC, and teaches creative writing at Catapult.

Conversation Partner: Elizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, including The Story of Arthur Truluv, Open House (an Oprah’s Book Club selection), Talk Before Sleep, and The Year of Pleasures, Durable Goods and Joy School, among others. She has adapted her work for the stage, her books have been translated into twenty-seven languages. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a quality reading series dedicated to serving author, audience, and community. She teaches one-day writing workshops and is a popular speaker at venues around the country. Some of her most popular Facebook postings have been collected in Make Someone Happy. She lives outside Chicago.