In Marrying the Ketchups (Knopf/Penguin Random House, 2022), best-selling author Jennifer Close introduces readers to Bud Sullivan, proprietor of a Chicago-area restaurant/bar called JP Sullivans. The novel takes places during a tumultuous time and focuses on three of Bud’s grandchildren (Gretchen, Jane, and Teddy) as they each approach a crossroad. The book is a mix of humor, baseball, politics, love, and family. According to a New York Times review: “One other thing worth noting about Marrying the Ketchups is the trick Close has of taking what might otherwise be an ordinary exchange between ordinary family members and somehow making it riveting.” Close is a Boston College graduate and author of Girls in White Dresses, The Smart One, and The Hopefuls.