The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
For fans of Me Before You and ONE DAY comes a wondrous novel of first love, loss, and the dinner of a lifetime.
When Sabrina Nielsen arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also her favorite professor from college, her father, her ex-fiance, Tobias, and Audrey Hepburn.
At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Sabrina contends with in Rebecca Serle’s utterly captivating novel, The Dinner List, a story imbued with the same delightful magical realism as Sliding Doors, and The Rosie Project.
As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together, and as Rebecca Serle masterfully traces Sabrina’s love affair with Tobias and her coming of age in New York City, The Dinner List grapples with the definition of romance, the expectations of love, and how we navigate our way through it to happiness. Oh, and of course, wisdom from Audrey Hepburn.
Review:
I started my Rebecca Serle journey in February; since then, I have read one of her books each month. Now, I can officially say that I have read all of her adult fiction backlist, and while I’m sure it means little to anyone but me, I feel very accomplished. The Dinner List was her first foray into adult fiction, and it’s funny that this was the last book that I read. Did it live up to the others? I can say that yes, it did, and this one may be a close second to my favorite – In Five Years – which was the first title by her that I read.
This time around, we are a fly on the wall at Sabrina Nielsen’s 30th birthday party. This isn’t like most birthday parties, though. We’ve all played the “If you could have dinner with five people living or dead, who would you choose” game, and this year, Sabrina’s wish has come true. At the table are her best friend, her favorite college professor, the father she never knew, her ex-boyfriend, and none other than Audrey Hepburn.
The evening begins innocently enough, but as the hours pass, food is eaten, and drinks are served, Sabrina realizes what is really going on and that this is more than a simple wish come true. Some things need to be set right, and tonight is the night she must do it to move on with her life.
The concept of having a dinner with five people of your choosing, either living or dead, sets the stage for a story filled with surprises and emotional depth. Through thought-provoking conversations and flashbacks to pivotal moments in Sabrina’s life, Serle masterfully weaves a narrative that explores the complexities of love, friendship, and loss. While the mid-point reveal wasn’t shocking (these are typical in Serle’s books, and I was expecting it), it still held a punch, giving us a glimpse at how the party would likely end.
As with all of her other books, Serle’s characters are the heart of the story. Sabrina, with her charm and flaws, becomes a character that readers can easily relate to. Witnessing her reconnect with her favorite college professor, confronting things left unsaid between her and her best friend, getting to know the father she never knew, and reconciling with her ex were all deeply emotional and, at times, heartwrenching to experience.
Audrey Hepburn’s presence at the dinner was the only thing that felt slightly out of place here. I understood the tie to Sabrina’s character, but it felt somewhat gimmicky. On the one hand, the plot is steeped in magical realism, and her character added a nice element that let us know this wasn’t just any birthday dinner, but the book would have worked just as well without adding Hepburn as a character. That said, she wasn’t an annoyance; she just seemed a random addition.
One of the most powerful themes in the novel is the idea of second chances and the importance of letting go of past regrets. As Sabrina confronts her fears and insecurities, she is forced to confront the choices she has made and their impact on her relationships with several of the people at the table. It left me wondering who I would invite if I had the chance to have a dinner like this, and not only that, but what I would want to say or learn from the people I did invite.
As in her other novels, Serle has crafted a story blended with magical realism and romance that is also a poignant reflection on life and love. I found the book to be as captivating as it was thought-provoking. If you’re a Rebecca Serle fan and you’ve not yet read this one, I would recommend checking it out. Now, off to plan my next birthday dinner…
