The Celebrants by Steven Rowley is about a group of college friends who, after one of their own passes away weeks before graduation, make a pact. Each member of the group is allowed to cash in one living funeral to be reminded that they each matter and are making an impact. Through divorces, family deaths, and…prison sentences, the friends gather to support one another.
Jordy flipped pancakes on her mother’s teppanyaki griddle, an offense in and of itself but one she was willing to let slide so long as they cleaned it, while Craig emptied used coffee grounds into the trash in preparation to make a fresh pot. Jordan set the table with mismatched flatware, folding paper napkins from an out-of-season holiday just so. When Naomi had had enough and desperately wanted to change the channel on the scene she said, “What the hell?”
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
Jordan grabbed Marielle and spun her just as she said, “I told them no bacon,” absolving herself as if the bacon were the true offense in this extravaganza and not literally everything else.
There’s a beautiful scene where the friends, the morning after a funeral, are gathered and all making breakfast together. The scene reminded me of when I was studying the Iliad in college. The professor really focused on a scene in the epic where after a death and in the midst of mourning, everyone stops and eats. The professor emphasized how the living must continue on and deal with the mundanity of living, such as eating.
I couldn’t help but think of that college class as I read about the friends, all together, making breakfast. They were doing something basic–feeding themselves–but doing it together and caring for each other.
I made buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon all cooked on my beloved raclette.
I read The Guncle last year and loved it. To say I was excited for The Celebrants would be an understatement and yet this book vastly exceeded my expectations. It’s heartfelt and thoughtful without being saccharine. This story is beautiful, hilarious, heartbreaking, and absolutely stunning. The cast of five friends are loyal, ridiculous, flawed, and they all love so big. I’ve never laughed so hard or cried so much in a single book. And at times, I was both laughing and crying. Rowley is an expert at layering scenes with humor, sorrow, swoon-worthy romance all present in a single moment. I cannot recommend this book enough. And if you’ve read it, come chat with me, because I could gush about it for hours on end.
Check out my Instagram reel for The Celebrants!
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