The Dinner List: A Novel

Sabrina can invite five people, living or dead, to her fictitious dinner. She chooses her idol, Audrey Hepburn; her former philosophy professor, Conrad; her estranged father, Robert; her best friend, Jessica; and the love of her life, Tobias. Years later, when she walks into a restaurant for her thirtieth birthday dinner, Sabrina is surprised to see all five guests seated at her table. And so begins Rebecca Serle’s captivating novel that examines the persistence of memory, the delight and pain of love, and the hope for closure.

Though the novel’s premise may seem lighthearted and fun, this is a rather serious read as Sabrina struggles to understand why her father left her family when she was five years old, tries to work through her strained relationship with Jessica, and examines her decade-long relationship with Tobias. Serle moves easily between the past and present, alternating with each chapter. She demonstrates storytelling chops in the way that she keeps readers wondering until the end what happened between Sabrina and Tobias. While reading The Dinner List, readers will question who they would invite to their own dinner and may imagine the details of those interactions. The Dinner List is honest, surprising, romantic, and moving; everyone should read it.