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Published Mar 2013
320 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
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.
You can see the full discussion here. This discussion will contain spoilers!
Some of the recent comments posted about The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat:
Did you like the writing format?
Initially I found that I was a bit puzzled - - even though I've read other books that switched narrators and/or time setting. With "Supremes" the transition seemed a little more awkward than in some other books, or maybe it felt that way to me since ... - rebeccar
Do you believe miracles are possible?
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?
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?
I thought he did it very well. Congratulations to him. - kathleenr
Does the German translation title seem to change the story?
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
"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
This information about The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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
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