First published 2008
The Waiter has served tables for years, and he knows the truth about dining out. Four out of five customers walk through the door as decent people wanting a meal. The other twenty percent arrive as walking nightmares. At thirty-eight, he watches both sides of human nature play out nightly in his restaurant. Entitled diners throw tantrums over minor delays. Others surprise him with unexpected kindness during busy shifts. He has mastered the art of good service and learned which customers deserve his best effort. The job has become his first real success, but that creates its own problem. He wonders if he can finally walk away from the work that defines him, or if the restaurant industry will claim him forever.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: character-driven, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: career-change, found-family
Period: 21st-century
302 pages · Hardcover · Ecco