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Unabridged Digital Audiobook
Runtime: 5 hours, 20 minutes
Read by Leslie Howard
As siblings age, they often drift apart, going their own separate ways to start their own separate lives. But in the audio edition of The Restaurant by Pamela Kelley, three sisters end up coming back together to fulfill their beloved grandmother’s wishes after her death.
The story travels to Nantucket with three women in their thirties. Though the sisters grew up together on Nantucket, only Mandy still lives there with her high-powered husband, Cory, and their two kids. Teacher Emma is living in Arizona and going through an unexpected divorce. And Jill lives in Manhattan, where she and her close friend, Billy, run a successful recruiting agency. But everything changes when their beloved grandmother dies, leaving the sisters with a restaurant that they didn’t even know that she owned. The will comes with a catch: they all have to work at Mimi’s Place for a year before they’re allowed to sell it.
While the title of the novel may be The Restaurant, the story focuses more on the sisters and their relationships: Mandy’s shocking discovery about her husband, Emma’s reunion with high school sweetheart (and now Mimi’s head chef), Paul, and Jill’s growing feelings for her partner. It all revolves around Mimi’s Place—and it sometimes provides descriptions of mouth-watering dishes and important events—but the restaurant business tends to remain in the background. That’s an unfortunate choice, really, since the revival of a struggling restaurant on Nantucket seems to offer so many possibilities—and readers will be left wanting to know more.
Also missing is more background on the sisters’ grandmother. Early in the story, Mandy discovers an old diary, which tells more of the story—but it gives less background and carries less weight than it feels like it could have. And although the grandmother plays an important role in the story, she simply fades into the background once they arrive on the island.
Despite a number of missed opportunities, though, the story still comes together as a charming and romantic story about three women and one life-changing year together. It’s an easygoing and undemanding listen.
If you’re looking for a light and lovable story for some spare time listening, The Restaurant is a worthy pick. It isn’t a powerful read, but the characters and their cozy comfort food will easily hold your attention.
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