Luncheonette

by Steven Sorrentino

When his father contracted a sudden illness that left him paralyzed, Steven Sorrentino stowed away his dreams of Broadway stardom and returned home to West Long Branch, New Jersey, to help his family out. Taking over Clint's Corner, his father's luncheonette, Steven found himself at the grill flipping porkroll, serving a counter full of eccentrics, and confiding in Dolores, the crusty head waitress with a particular flair for butchering the English language. From this unusual post, Steven watched his ailing father who, though confined to his wheelchair, refused to accept defeat and even managed to further his career in local politics. Somehow, the more his father triumphed, the more Steven's own life seemed to stall. Guilty and confused, Steven made a shocking and desperate decision -- not knowing that he was about to stumble upon the secrets of his father's resilience. Luncheonette is an irresistible true story about the unexpected lessons life brings -- and of the inspiration we find