Taking a break from sports-themed fiction, Rich Wallace serves up a snappy, coming of age story in Dishes. 19 year old Danny is looking to hook up this summer, but ends up making connections he didn’t anticipate.
He’s in Maine in the tourist town where is long estranged father, Jack, spends summers being the bartender at a gay bar, Dishes. Neither Jack nor Danny are gay, but that’s about all they have in common at the start of the summer. Danny hopes to reconnect with his dad (who was 17 when Danny was born) and maybe hook up with a local girl.
Danny’s uncertain about developing relationships beyond a one-night stand, but soon realizes the power of connecting with people on a deeper, more meaningful level. He also sees that attraction to a person’s personality is possible even when there is no physical chemistry, allowing the opportunity for real friendship to blossom. In this quick, enjoyable read, I appreciated the development of relationships from a maturing male perspective.
- Posted by Cori