{"id":22246,"date":"2024-11-28T11:33:54","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T18:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/?p=22246"},"modified":"2024-11-28T11:33:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T18:33:55","slug":"new-american-cafe-by-richard-sanford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/?p=22246","title":{"rendered":"New American Cafe by Richard Sanford"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Raw, poignant, and thoroughly immersive\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set against the gritty vibrance of 1970s Chicago, Sanford\u2019s poignant novel offers a compelling exploration of ambition, identity, and the relentless pursuit of creative fulfillment in an indifferent world. Mitch Lanier arrives in 1977 Chicago chasing musical fame but soon finds himself delivering pizzas alongside the eccentric Corey McGowan after a failed relationship. Together, they launch the New American Caf\u00e9, a venture meant to blend ambition with artistry. However, their plans go awry when they cross paths with a dangerous drug lord, forcing Mitch and his friends to navigate a treacherous clash between survival and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The novel vividly captures the raw energy and poignant melancholy of a city caught between its storied past and an uncertain, rapidly changing future. Chicago\u2019s icy streets, smoky clubs, and bustling pizza joints form a rich, textured backdrop for Mitch\u2019s journey. Sanford\u2019s prose is sharp and evocative, balancing lyrical introspection with engaging dialogue that gives the characters depth and authenticity. Mitch\u2019s world, shaped by pizza deliveries and sporadic gigs, provides an intimate look at the intersections of creativity, love, and self-discovery. Supporting characters like Corey, whose risky dreams mask a complex personality, and Melanie, Mitch\u2019s enigmatic ex, further enrich the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sanford\u2019s use of a dual timeline, alternating between Mitch\u2019s present and flashbacks to his formative years in Chapel Hill, deepens the narrative. This structure highlights how past choices and relationships shape Mitch\u2019s current path, adding emotional weight and complexity to his journey. Themes of resilience, disillusionment, and the cost of chasing dreams are woven throughout, prompting readers to reflect on the sacrifices inherent in creative pursuits. <em>This<\/em> poignant, thought-provoking exploration of art, human connection, and the enduring hope for something greater makes for a stunner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/New-American-Cafe-Richard-Sanford\/dp\/0985744561\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/New-American-Cafe-Richard-Sanford\/dp\/0985744561\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy now<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Publisher: Odeon Press<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Publication date: October 15, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">396 pages<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">List price: $14.95 (trade paperback)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">ISBN: 978-0-9857445-6-4<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Ebook price and ISBN: $4.99, 978-0-9857445-8-8<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Availabilities: Amazon paperback and Kindle, Barnes &amp; Noble Nook, Apple iPad-iPhone, Kobo<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Distributor: Ingram<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Raw, poignant, and thoroughly immersive\u2026 Set against the gritty vibrance of 1970s Chicago, Sanford\u2019s poignant novel offers a compelling exploration of ambition, identity, and the relentless pursuit of creative fulfillment in an indifferent world. Mitch Lanier arrives in 1977 Chicago chasing musical fame but soon finds himself delivering pizzas alongside the eccentric Corey McGowan after a failed relationship. Together, they launch the New American Caf\u00e9, a venture meant to blend ambition with artistry. However, their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145610851,"featured_media":22249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[],"tags":[7223,91,7215,3328,723769808,178,1747,1136176,91586,723770486,1473,1008073,856121,309,723770485,349],"class_list":["post-22246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-author","tag-blogging","tag-book-review","tag-book-reviews","tag-bookblogger","tag-books","tag-fiction","tag-indie-books","tag-literary-fiction","tag-new-american-cafe","tag-reading","tag-review-blog","tag-review-website","tag-reviews","tag-richard-sanford","tag-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pajKJn-5MO","amp_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/41XPfgyAvbL._SY445_SX342_.jpg?fit=288%2C445&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/145610851"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22246"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22250,"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22246\/revisions\/22250"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprairiesbookreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}