Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close
Summary
Here are the three things the Sullivan family knows to be true: the Chicago Cubs will always be the underdogs; historical progress is inevitable; and their grandfather, Bud, founder of JP Sullivan’s, will always make the best burgers in Oak Park. But when, over the course of three strange months, the Cubs win the World Series, Trump is elected president, and Bud drops dead, suddenly everyone in the family finds themselves doubting all they hold dear.
Take Gretchen for example, lead singer for a ’90s cover band who has been flirting with fame for a decade but is beginning to wonder if she’s too old to be chasing a childish dream. Or Jane, Gretchen’s older sister, who is starting to suspect that her fitness-obsessed husband who hides the screen of his phone isn’t always “working late.” And then there’s Teddy, their steadfast, unfailingly good cousin, nursing heartbreak and confusion because the guy who dumped him keeps showing up for lunch at JP Sullivan’s where Teddy is the manager. How can any of them be expected to make the right decisions when the world feels sideways—and the bartender at JP Sullivan’s makes such strong cocktails?
Book Settings: Chicago, IL
Old Town: The neighborhood Teddy’s condo is in.
Gold Coast: The neighborhood Walter’s apartment was in.
Marion Street: Where Sullivan’s is located.
The Art Institute of Chicago: Teddy would take Riley and Rose here.
Topo Gigio Restaurant: Mike was seen here by Jane’s friend Cosette.
West Armitage Avenue: Jane and Mike used to live on this street and Jane often misses it.
Poor Phil's Bar and Grill: Gretchen and Teddy got drinks here after work one evening.
The Hangge - Uppe : Cindy met Brad here.
Au Cheval: Teddy, Cindy and Brad got dinner here one evening.
Logan Square: The neighborhood where Teddy almost opened a restaurant.
Cortland’s Garage: Teddy watched the Cubs win the world series here.
Northbrook: Jane and Mike’s marriage counselor has an office in this town.
Marquette University: Jane and Mike met here.
Laugh Out Loud Theatre: Jane, Gretchen and Casey watched Brendan’s improv troupe perform here.
Wicker Park: The neighborhood where Jane and Brendan had their first date.
Cafe Cancale: Jane and Brendan got dinner here.
Lincoln Park: Gretchen and her friends from high school went to this neighborhood for a night out.
Old Town School of Folk Music: Gretchen gets a job here teaching guitar to children.
Wicker Park: Gretchen and Teddy open a restaurant in this neighborhood.
Reviews
“Get ready to wish you were a member of the Sullivans in this generation-spanning, laugh-out-loud story.” —E! News
“Marrying the Ketchups mercilessly (and hilariously) skewers the indignities of modern romance, the absurdities of family life, the tribalism of the American Midwest. Jennifer Close’s fourth book is a rare feat—a genuinely funny comic novel that is cutting but never cruel, with the ambition to explore the impact of contemporary political tumult on everyday life.”
—Rumaan Alam, best-selling author of Leave the World Behind
“This novel is laugh-out-loud funny, and deeply resonant to our times. I was so happy to be in the Sullivan family’s Chicago bar, caught in the swirl of three generations of grudges, love affairs and fraught personal decisions. Jennifer Close has written a smart, hilarious book that I was delighted to escape into.”
—Ann Napolitano, best-selling author of Dear Edward