Warm, witty, and refreshingly original, this is a compelling and exquisitely written debut.
It’s 1976 in Hanley, Minnesota, and there’s a bicentennial parade in the works. Is this a job for lunch ladies? Their answer would be “no.” Dragged into the task each finds ridiculous, Crystal, Coralene, and Sheila must craft food stands that the school district will present to parade goers on Independence Day.
Early Praise For Lunch Ladies
"This is a book that readers will find dear to their hearts. Lunch Ladies will make you laugh, cry, and cheer with its quirky characters. This is a beautifully written novel about relationships, friendships, togetherness, and loneliness."
— Chicago Book Review
"Crystal, Coralene, and Sheila are all wonderfully complex characters with fully fleshed out voices that make switching between their perspectives easy to follow. It's even easier to root for them...It's a truly well-written, reflective novel perfect for a book club or rainy Sunday morning."
— Independent Book Review
"Rich with witty dialogue and the ups and downs that come with friends and family, this is a wonderful book that many will enjoy. Kudos to author Jodi Thompson Carr for creating a masterpiece full of emotion, love, warmth, and life."
— Seattle Book Review
“… heartfelt, and wrought with sensitivity, tragedy, and humor…The insights that lucky readers gain into the intimate details of overlooked working-class women's souls are as dynamic, dramatic, and important as any characters peopling the middle- and upper-class fictional fare on the market today.”
— Carol Dawson
Author of The Mother-in-Law Diaries, Body of Knowledge, The Waking Spell, and Meeting the Minotaur
"…a heartwarming story that captures relationships, growth, and tragedy in an enlightening atmosphere readers will find engrossing...Discussion points at the novel’s end make for perfect pointers for book clubs and reading groups interested in a closer examination of small-town relationships in general and women’s transformations in particular.”
— Midwest Book Review
Jodi Thompson Carr
Jodi Thompson Carr is a University of Washington graduate and third-generation Seattleite. Her debut novel marks a departure from previous pursuits in philanthropy, education, and human services.
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Crystal
“Crystal chose from the living, just as she chose from the dead. On Sundays, she rescued travelers from the obituary page in the Hanley Herald. Over the week, she found them suitable companions: someone whose living spirit could support a dying one as it made its way. Companions needed to be caring. Travelers needed care. No one needed to know.”
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Coralene
“Coralene suspected that Gordon was disappointed in the simplicity of it all: Crystal’s cookies, Coralene’s hot dogs, and even Sheila’s idea – which would take more work, but could certainly be done. Gordon seemed to have a grander vision for how Nutrition Services would contribute to Hanley’s Fourth of July celebration. Coralene had no idea what that vision might be. She’d presented her hot dog plan without fanfare; fanfare wasn’t Coralene’s cup of tea.”
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Sheila
“When Sheila saw the announcement about Hildy Sherman’s retirement as lunch lady, she’d taken the job and moved out of the classroom for good. Soon it was flour under her nails instead of chalk dust. She got lost in being a lunch lady, layering anonymity and necessity atop the person she’d once believed she’d be, until that person was gone for good. Until the old Sheila quit showing up to pester the new one about all she didn’t have. All she was not.”