Randy Boyagoda on the story of a restaurant owner, a waitress and a self-help guru

In Nathan Whitlock's new novel Congratulations on Everything, a middle-aged restaurateur struggles to keep his hard-earned restaurant afloat. The Next Chapter columnist Randy Boyagoda joins Shelagh Rogers in the studio to talk about why he thinks the novel is a great choice for readers seeking something refreshingly funny, gently satirical and a little bit absurd.

The hero is a 50-something named Jeremy who has spent the better part of his life moving around the restaurant industry, always with an ambition to open his own restaurant/bar. He finally cobbles together enough self confidence and money to open his restaurant, which he calls The Ice Shack. He does so with that charming desire I think every entrepreneur has — "I'm going to do this differently." 

Jeremy is desperate for some higher purpose in his life. He's not finding it in a relationship, in religion or in politics, and he's too well-meaning to find it in just making money. There needs to be some spiritual purpose, and he finds it in the collected wisdom of Theo Hendra, a fictionalized lifestyle guru who says things like "Disappointments are arrows, not stop signs." 

I think it would have been easier, frankly, for Whitlock to just go for the jugular on every page. But it's his decision to have lots of satire, but to keep intact Jeremy's desire to be a good person and be a good boss — that's not a character you see a lot in novels.

Randy Boyagoda's comments have been edited and condensed.