The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat: Book summary and reviews of The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat Summary

Meet Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean. Earl's All-You-Can-Eat is home away from home for this inseparable Plainview, Indiana, trio.  Dubbed "the Supremes" by high school pals in the tumultuous 1960s, they weather life's storms together for the next four decades. Now, during their most challenging year yet, dutiful, proud, and talented Clarice must struggle to keep up appearances as she deals with her husband's humiliating infidelities. Beautiful, fragile Barbara Jean is rocked by the tragic reverberations of a youthful love affair. And fearless Odette engages in the most terrifying battle of her life while contending with the idea that she has inherited more than her broad frame from her notorious pot-smoking mother, Dora.

Through marriage, children, happiness, and the blues, these strong, funny women gather each Sunday at the same table at Earl's diner for delicious food, juicy gossip, occasional tears, and uproarious banter.

With wit and love, style and sublime talent, Edward Kelsey Moore brings together four intertwined love stories, three devoted allies, and two sprightly earthbound spirits in a big-hearted debut novel that embraces the lives of people you will never forget. 

Did you like the writing format? (19 responses)
I enjoyed the format. Once I figured out who everyone was, I didn't have a problem keeping up with the time frames. I thought that the author handled the multiple perspectives very well. - susanr

Do you believe miracles are possible? (16 responses)
I believe that Odette was right when she said miracles are just things that were supposed to happen. - kathleenr

Do you think Barbara Jean will find happiness with Chick? How do you foresee their story ending? (17 responses)
If not happiness, then piece of mind if the second chance did not work out. Both have learned hard life lessons over the course of their lives and understand that happiness is what you make of the moment. - beverlyj

Does the author write convincingly from the perspective of women? (20 responses)
I thought he did it very well. Congratulations to him. - kathleenr

Does the German translation title seem to change the story? (1 responses)
I am glad that the the author included information about the German translation of his book including Mrs. Roosevelt in the title. [b]Mrs. Roosevelt "Und Das Wunder Von Earl's Diner[/b] ("Mrs. Roosevelt and the Miracle of Earl's Diner"). I can't... - rebeccar

Eleanor Roosevelt's position on Segregation (3 responses)
I feel like Mr. Moore's explanation kind of confirmed my thoughts, even though he did not specifically refer to this event. - rebeccar

Good Scenes for Movie Version (6 responses)
I like the scene at the beginning where Odette is dealing with her hot flash. That really had me laughing out loud. - tillieh

Have you ever seen or spoken to a ghost? Would you be willing to visit a "haunted" location? (11 responses)
Many years ago when a friend and I took a driving trip through the Deep South (USA) and wandered around the grounds of some former Southern plantations, I had a very eerie feeling of souls being there. It's a feeling I've had at ruins in Chichen... - rebeccar

Have you read other books similar in theme or setting to The Supremes? How does this book compare? (2 responses)
I think this is a good readalike for The Help. Although the settings and circumstances are different, to me it resonates in personality like The Help. - tillieh

How did the churches that the Supremes grew up in shape who they ultimately became? (4 responses)
The different churches were a wonderful device to help show the different personalities. But it is significant that they all were religious and had a religious community of which they were part. They were more alike than different in some ways.... - kathleenr

How did the ghostly elements help round out the story? (11 responses)
I enjoyed the ghosts and thought that they were very funny. They also gave some of the background to the people in the story. - susanr

How do the Supremes' mothers exert influence on their adult lives? Who is most like her mother as she gets older? (3 responses)
I agree that Odette is most like her mom. And her mother's influence is so strong that it continues after her death. Odette can "hear" what her mother says about certain people and situations as though she were still right there with her. - lorettaf

How does humor help the Supremes survive the hard times? How does it help us all? (4 responses)
Humor lets us see things in a different perspective, sometime if we don;t laugh, we cry. Humor and laughter help us cope with those everyday situations when things do not go as we expect, but we muddle through - joanneg

In what ways do the differences in their characters bring them closer? Have you ever made friends with someone very different from you? (6 responses)
Yes, I have a wonderful friend who has a lot of differences from me. However, we have a lot of values that are the same. We just might go about things differently. We also have a lot in common and our friendship started out based on these... - BamaCarol

In what ways does the diner itself shape the lives of the main characters and the community in general? (16 responses)
The diner was core to the book. It was the flue to hold all of the characters together. - swchis39

Overall, what did you think about The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat? (37 responses)
I am glad that I read it and had a chance to be in on the review of it through Book Browse. I like the comparison that debracoley made (April 8) , saying, " It reminded me of a black 'Steel Magnolia's.' " - rebeccar

Playing Dumb to be Sexy (4 responses)
It was the starting point for clarisse's growth. She was embarrassed by it even as she engaged in it. I was glad to see her change. - kathleenr

The Supremes grew up in times of major social change for both African Americans and women. What challenges did each have to overcome? (4 responses)
Barbara jean had to deal with the problem of not being able to be with Ray as racism in the country was leading to riots and threats from bigots like Ray's brother. She had the racism of Lester's family who wanted light skinned members. She had... - kathleenr

Triangle friendships don't always work out well. Why do you think this one does? (13 responses)
The friendship worked because the three women were very different from each other and yet cared in a very strong way about the others. Each had particular strengths that the others could turn to when need arose. - Beth350

What do the men who love the Supremes give to the women they love? Why are the women able to look past their failings? Could you? (4 responses)
I loved the relationship between James and Odette - she was my favorite character. - liked Jeffs' summary of the relationship between all the couples - Lester was a good man and I certainly hope that Barbara Jean finds a degree of joy that her... - dorothym

What does Odette’s mother’s voice add to the story? (9 responses)
I love what kathleenr said above (April 17). Those were the exact ideas I was trying to formulate as I scrolled down to add a comment! - rebeccar

Who would you cast in the movie version of this novel? (2 responses)
Halle Berry for Barbara Jean. Jennifer Hudson for Clarice. Octavia Spencer for Odette. Work in Kerry Washington, too. I will continue to think about the men. But I do hope to see the movie someday. - kathleenr

Why did Clarice put up with infidelity in her marriage? Was it the sign of the times? (11 responses)
I think it was a sign of the times. Women didn't work and had no income and needed to rely on the man - even if he was a womanizer. Plus divorce was not accepted in the 60s and 70s like it is today. - susanr

Why do you think people tell their dying friends and family all their secret confessions? (11 responses)
I don't think they do tell. I think the scarey thing about seeing someone you love die is the way they cling to normal routines and unchanged relationships and shy away from revealing truths that might change that. I thought having them talk to... - kathleenr

Why do you think the author chose Odette as a narrator? (11 responses)
She was the most fully formed character. The other two had mothers who were such bad examples for daughters that they were struggling as adults. Odette was strong, happy, content with herself and her life, and able to be very funny. She was the... - kathleenr

Why do you think the author included Mrs Roosevelt as a character? (27 responses)
Thank you Davina for the answer from Mr. Moore personally. I love the fact that an author has the ability to use a character with such freedom in fiction. It enriches the story and leads to much debate and controversy. Which leads to great... - paml

Why do you think this story worked with all the recurring themes: death, infidelity, friendships,sickness, alcoholism? (14 responses)
The three women and their husbands seemed genuinely good at heart, even RIchmond who became a good man as predicted. You could root for their happiness and forgive them their faults and watch as they handled the big milestones in life. A lifetime... - kathleenr

Would this story have been as effective if it were set in any other region of the country? Did you find the southern Indiana setting fit the story well? (2 responses)
I think it could actually been set pretty much anywhere on the Southern States and would have worked well. - tillieh

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat Reviews

"A novel of strong women, evocative memories and deep friendship." - Kirkus

"What a delight and a privilege it is to be among the earliest readers of this breathtaking debut. The supremely gifted, supremely entertaining, and supremely big-hearted Edward Kelsey Moore has conjured up the story of an entire community and, at its sparkling center, a trio of memorable heroines. How I long to have Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean on speed-dial! At least I'll be able to brag that I knew them before they hit the big time ... as I can promise you they will." - Julia Glass, author of Three Junes and The Widower's Tale

"The author uses warmhearted humor and salty language to bring to life a tight-knit African-American community... With salt-of-the-earth characters like fearless Odette, motherless Barbara Jean, and sharp-tongued Clarice, along with an event-filled plot that readers will laugh and cry over, this is a good bet to become a best seller." - Library Journal

"Edward Kelsey Moore has written a novel jam-packed with warmth, honesty, wit, travail, and just enough madcap humor to keep us giddily off-balance. It teems with memorable characters, chief among them Odette, as unlikely and irresistible protagonist as we are likely to meet. The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat is that rare and happy find: a book that delivers not only good story, but good company." - Leah Hager Cohen, author of The Grief of Others

"Perhaps the most remarkable quality of The Supremes is love--the author's love for his characters, even the most flawed, shines from every page. If Moore's novel is about a rebirth in middle age, it is also about achieving redemption against all odds, even when it seems too late." - Shelf Awareness

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The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat Reader Reviews

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Rated of 5 by Nae
Fluff and Stuff
Almost all the southerner's I know can tell and enjoy a good story, and when I say tell, I mean t...e...l...l, with all sorts of long-winded side steps and meanderings before getting to the point. It's sort of like we were born with the innate ability of knowing just how many adjectives can be thrown into a single sentence before it is time to move on to the next one. Unfortunately, when the author exceeds that limit of acceptable adjectives per sentence some part of the southerner tends to shuts down with the clangy twang of the door of a coon trap, resulting in loss of the rhythm of the story. That is kind of what happened to me with this book. Even though I enjoyed reading it, and in parts it was amazingly touching and humorous, in other parts there were just too darn many adjectives happening to make it a totally satisfactory read.

That said, the plot line was intriguing, it did keep my interest all the way through, and I am immensely grateful it ended in an upbeat way before I used up an entire box of tissues (another sure-fire way to suck a southerner into the plot line, throw in lots of "drama" and this author surely did that well too).

I compare it to taking that spray can of "Fluffy Whip" and squirting a big dollop into the mouth, but once you swallow the sweet satisfaction just disappears too darn quickly. It was, however, a fairly good way to spend a long afternoon in the porch hammock.

Rated of 5 by YL Michaels
Warm and Full
I put this book down with a smile on my face and the wish to visit this town and meet the characters. Each of the three women were fully formed and shine like stars. I spent time laughing at the everydayness of the personalities that weaved in and out and barely noticed that this story never leaves the town. The beauty of this book is that it never takes an African-american community down the path of the downtrodden. It gives dignity to everyone from Odette to the nutty psychic - from their diction to the way they work around the dark and the light. Eleanor Roosevelt took the cake. I can see a movie coming with this story.

Rated of 5 by Christie Keele
Entertaining, But That's All
I liked the book The Supremes At Earl's All You Can Eat, but over all, I was disappointed. There were too many characters and character references, and too much backstory to remember. It would have been nice if the author had focused more on the Supremes deep-felt triumphs and heartaches, instead of lightening it with fodder and over-done banter. The book is filled with humor, though, and the author has a great sense of humor. I would have liked to FEEL something from this book as well as enjoy a light-hearted read. I think the author is a good writer, and has a wonderful sense of how women think, considering he's a man, and I found that interesting. This is a good book if you want frivolity and not much depth. I kept looking for MORE in it.

Edward Kelsey Moore lives in Chicago, where he has enjoyed a long career as a cellist. His short fiction has appeared in several literary magazines, including Indiana Review, African American Review, and Inkwell. His short story "Grandma and the Elusive Fifth Crucifix" was selected as an audience favorite on National Public Radio's Stories on Stage series. The Supremes is his first novel. Visit him at edwardkelseymoore.com