Lunch Ladies

Carr debuts with a charming story of three lonely Minnesota women who find a renewed sense of purpose during preparations for their town’s 1976 bicentennial celebration. School lunch ladies Crystal, Sheila, and Coralene are tasked by their ambitious boss, Gordon, with putting together meals for the town’s Independence Day parade. The plan draws each of the women out of her quirky routines. Crystal is fixated on reading obituaries and imagining who among her acquaintances might have made a good match for the deceased, a habit that distracts her from worrying about her ailing grandmother who raised her. Coralene, who’s very happily married, frets over her 20-year-old nephew, whom she raised after her sister’s death from cancer eight years earlier. She worries that his drifting lifestyle means she failed her promise to her sister to set him on the right path. Sheila holds everyone at arm’s length except for Lexie, a waitress at the Denny’s where she dines every Friday night. When Lexie tries to set Sheila up with a school plumber, she surprises everyone by agreeing. As the holiday approaches, each woman’s story line builds to a climax. Along the way, Carr develops a colorful portrait of grief in its varied forms, shot through with just the right amount of humor. It’s a satisfying slice of life. (Self-published)