I loved the premise of this book and it finished strong, but really dragged for me in the middle. ( )

Very good and imaginative book. Who would you have dinner with if you had the choice to pick anyone from history, dead or alive? How many of us have ever thought of this question, ever? The answer might surprise all of us when it all comes down to it and the answers might change any number of times. Excellent and quick read in which the main character gets her wish for her birthday. This book does not disappoint. ( )

Charming tale about a young woman’s thirtieth birthday party, at which she is magically granted her wish of dining with the five people — dead or alive — she chose years ago, while she was in college. Heartbreaking and sweet, with a not altogether likable narrator. I felt the characters were a little too surface and not enough substance, but still an enjoyable read. ( )

Not at all what I was expecting: much more downbeat than frivolous.

Imagine a one night dinner with five people (living or dead) of your choosing. What would you talk about? How can you fit everything in? This is the story of one woman’s dinner with her estranged father, a favorite teacher, a best friend, a former boyfriend, and a movie star. It’s dramatic and sad and peppered with flashbacks of an important relationship. Some of its predictable, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about some of the characters and relationships, but I think that’s a good thing.


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This book will allow you to live out the fantasy of the main character's ability to have a dinner party with her favorite people, dead or alive, and have conversations with them. But it goes beyond that. By doing so, she (Sabrina) is able to go back "through the grave" to resolve and understand what she could not when certain people she loved were living. I personally think the author spent too much writing time on Jessica, the friend, when she was a significant character, but not as significant as several other characters. When I first started reading, I wasn't sure about a couple of the characters if they were actually deceased, but after I had read 40% of the book, I had a great grasp on who was living and who wasn't. There were gut-wrenching moments. I was puzzled why in the world Audrey Hepburn was one of the main characters invited. I am not going to give any disclaimers, but tell you just to keep reading until you finish the whole book. It made complete sense at the end, and really wrapped up the story! I would definitely read the story again. The author "could" write a sequel, but quite frankly, I doubt it could be as good or better. Some things are better left alone. If you want all perfect characters who are mature, you won't enjoy the story. But if you can step outside of the situation and "see" and "hear" the things that often go unsaid, it will probably parallel with real life for most of its readers: imperfect but poignant. ( )