The Coat Check Girl -Laura Buchwald's otherworldly tale, set in classic restaurants in NYC and New Orleans, where love and retribution enmesh the living and dead.
THE COAT CHECK GIRL by Laura Buchwald (10/22, Roan & Weatherford) is an absorbing metaphysical mystery set in 1999 New York City, with Y2K fears of computer collapse. At the "Bistrot," long a downtown destination, the "countdown" underscored the staff's insecurity about the restaurant's future. Despite the rich mahogany and red leather booths, business was down, despite regulars of many years, tourists, and occasional celebrities, like John F/ Kennedy Jr. and his lovely wife. Such visits were decreasing, thought Josie, as she surveyed the empty room. It was early yet and she thought with compassions of Sylvie, a regular, who seemed to be teetering on senility, mixing up the present and yesteryear. Jose's welcome was warm and professional. She was quick to see to customers' needs. And she was cheerful, despite her own anxiety. At 29, Josie mourned her lost dreams for a fuller life. She was not the only one. Many of the older staff, identified...
