Show Me 5 Saturday: Evenings At the Argentine Club by Julia Amante

Alipet at That's a novel idea started a new MEME called Show Me Five Saturday. Unfortunately, our host has been missing in action but Jenners puts up a Mr. Linky if you would like to play along. This meme will give each blogger an opportunity to give a brief description of a book they have read or reviewed during the week. It will work like this: Each Saturday you will post the answer to these questions.

1. Name of book: Evenings at the Argentine Club by Julia Amante


2. Words to describe book: Contemporary fiction


3. Location it took place or characters you met:

• Burbank, California


• Victoria Torres: daughter of Victor and Jacqueline, who works somewhat half-heartedly in her parents Argentine style restaurant. She would rather be doing her own thing; interior decorating. Victoria does not want to distress her parents by going against their wishes to follow in their footsteps or leaving the close knit Argentine cultural club they belong to.


• Eric Ortelli: Successful young real estate speculator whose parents wanted him to be a lawyer. After much arguing over this point, Eric left home for seven years and is now back to make amends. Being on his own has definitely mellowed him besides making him realize how much he misses and loves his family.

4. Things you liked/disliked about the book:

• I liked the clashes between parents and adult offspring. Although both sets of parents in the story have emigrated from Argentina to make a better life for themselves, they still cling to old world traditions and attitudes. Needless to say, their children have their own more up to date ideas.


• I liked the romances that developed in the story.


• I liked the emotional growth of all the characters as told from their own point of view. Parents learned to let their children follow their own hearts.


• I also liked the story line of marital stress in the Torres's household. Jacqueline finally let Victor know she was unfulfilled as an empty nest wife while he worked at the restaurant almost non-stop. It took a lot to get Victor to see the error of his ways.

5. stars or less for your rating: 4**** I don't know what I really expected from this book but it turned out to be very good. I read it almost non-stop as it is a quick and easy read. When I did put it down, it was somewhat reluctantly.

Disclosure: This book is from my personal library.