The Tender Bar

I don’t know if I loved The Tender Bar as much as I did because it’s about growing up on Long Island, New York, in the 1970s, which I did. Or because it’s simply a lovely novel with an endearing title. 

I haven’t enjoyed or been riveted to a novel in a long while and this one just pulled me in, engaged me at every turn and kept me up late at night because I couldn’t put it down. 

It ended with a local story about a dramatic event that I had predicted to myself would be mentioned. But still, the writers portrayal slated me. 

And, of course, his raging internal debates with his need for men in his life when the role model he wanted and desperately needed was right there in front of him the whole time. 

Beautiful.