Ben Ryder Howe is formereditor of* The Paris Review*.Yet it seems he had a highercalling in life. After spendinga good part of a year living inhis parents-in-law’s basementin order to save for a house,his wife Gab one dayannounced that she wanted to open a NewYork deli (ie. convenience store) to give toher mother as a ‘thank you’ for all the hardwork she put into raising her. With a healthydose of trepidation, Howe went along forthe ride. This is a story about opening aworking small business in the sometimeshostile, sometimes welcoming community ofBrooklyn – and, just as enticingly, an insideaccount of working in a legendary New Yorkliterary institution in the last days of itsequally legendary founder, George Plimpton.

Ryder Howe describes his mother-in-lawas the ‘Mike Tyson of Korean grandmothers’on the very first page: I was instantlyhooked! It’s easy to fall in love with thisdysfunctional, non-Korean speaking, fishout-water writer who would do anythingto keep his loved ones happy. There are somany laugh-out-loud moments and crazy(but totally believable) characters. There’s thegroup of regulars who visit the shop everyevening to watch TV, the father-in-law whonever says anything (except to sing karaoke ifno one is watching), and of course the everpresent,formidable mother-in-law, Kay.

Though told from a humorous point ofview, it’s also poignant and insightful: younever lose the fact that this family is simplystruggling to make ends meet. This is a bookthat should not be missed by anyone who’sever worked in retail, or quite simply anyonewho’s shopped at a convenience store. It willmake you look twice at the person standingbehind the counter, to give them a smile anda ‘thank you’.

Kate Rockstrom is from Readings Carlton