For those of you experiencing The Bear withdrawals (I know I am), may I suggest you taste Service, the fantastic new novel from Irish writer, Sarah Gilmartin?
Service is told from three separate character perspectives. At the center of the book is Hannah, who worked in a popular, upscale Dublin restaurant while she was in college a decade earlier. The celebrity chef of said restaurant, Daniel Costello, is currently on trial for sexually assaulting another of his former young employees. Daniel’s wife, Julie, sits on the periphery, trying to protect their two young sons, and internally grapple with her husband’s potential guilt.
The alternating perspectives really compliment the “he said, she said” nature of the events which take place. The story is depressingly familiar, yet Gilmartin has created a completely engaging world and authentic characters. At no point during this book did I feel any sympathy for Daniel Costello; his sections are laughable (and again, depressingly familiar). I really felt for Hannah and Julie, who both have to sacrifice a part of themselves to gain what they perceive as “success”, whether with a family or a career.
Not only did I race through this book because I wanted to know the outcome, but Gilmartin’s vivid and concise prose is a real pleasure to read. And given the triggering nature of the content, that’s no mean feat.
I am so excited for people to read this gripping novel. Highly recommended.
California Reading 