Book News: Turning Tables

Heather and Rose MacDowell, former summer island residents, have written a novel based upon their experiences in the front of house restaurant business called “Turning Tables”, published by Dial Press, and released just this month.

I know Heather from her time at 21 Federal, so I contacted her to get some background. Here’s what she wrote:

“Between the two of us, we lived on Nantucket off and on for ten years, the last year being ‘99. I worked at 21 Federal and Galley Beach, with many restaurants in New York and San Francisco in between. Rose worked at The Ropewalk, Cioppino’s, and The Tavern, so we have a variety of Nantucket restaurants covered. We decided to turn our restaurant experiences, (great and not so great), into a novel after we saw many books and TV shows about cooking and chefs, but none about waiters. We made our main character as naïve as we once were, and threw her into every embarrassing and difficult situation we could think of - many of which we’ve been through ourselves.

“Nantucket is a unique place to wait tables, in part because the clientele is largely made up of people on vacation, and the high season is fast and furious. While some guests are relaxed in spite of higher island prices and long waits for tables, others are unhappy if the weather and every restaurant meal aren’t perfect. Being on the service end of someone’s all-too-brief holiday can be stressful. But local restaurants can also be a great place to make friends, (not to mention money), and enjoy some of the best food and drink on the island.

“I also waited tables through the winter, and nothing makes you part of the community like serving Bloody Bulls to the same locals week after week. Nantucketers are lucky to live in a beautiful place with such a high concentration of terrific restaurants. If Rose and I were to (God forbid) ever wait tables again, we’d definitely want to do it there!

“Thanks so much for getting in touch, and we hope to make it to the island soon. It’s great to reconnect with the place where Rose and I made so many restaurant memories!”

I don’t think they’ll be waiting tables again. Their book has already garnered good reviews. Heather and Rose are already working on their second book, a sequel to “Turning Tables”.

Publishers Weekly says this: “Penned by twins who’ve paid their dues in the restaurant biz, this whip-smart debut chronicles a brief slice of the life of Erin Edwards, a marketing manager who loses her job and cashes in family favors to snag a wait-staff position at Roulette, a top-flight New York City restaurant . . . This page-turner reads like recent restaurant-linked memoirs, with accounts of unrealistic expectations, slippery tactics, critic and rival-driven anxieties and general kitchen mayhem . . . and is tons of fun, especially for those who’ve done time in the service industry.”

Claire Cook, author of “Life’s a Beach” and “Must Love Dogs”, says: “Turning Tables is tons of fun! Heather and Rose MacDowell’s twin voices blend seamlessly to create a delectable fusion of humor, heart, hope and keen observation-peppered liberally with some great waitress horror stories.”

Kirkus Reviews says “A spirited debut . . . The setting sparkles.”

Associated Press: “This novel will give you a new appreciation for what waiters and waitresses at fancy restaurants go through. And even if you don’t eat at fancy restaurants, you’ll be rewarded with a delightful story. “Turning Tables” is written by identical twins who drew on their own experience as waitresses at restaurants in New York, San Francisco and Nantucket, Mass . . . Surely there’s a movie in such a feel-good tale with outsized personalities, high-pressure action and an attractive young heroine. Until somebody makes it, the book will surely satisfy your appetite for a good tale.

Amazon has an excerpt from the book.

More on the book’s official website, www.turning-tables.com.
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