One More Seat at the Round Table

One More Seat at the Round Table by Susan Dormady Eisenberg is a smart novel that is cleverly plotted with colorful characters and a lot of drama. While Jane Conroy works for a literary agent, her dream is to find a job behind the scenes on Broadway stage and when Max Conroy, her uncle, gets her a job as Friday girl for Brock Remsen, she finds herself in the exhilarating world of musical performance. Producer Alan Jay Lerner, for whom Brock Remsen works, partners with Frederick Loewe to produce a new show, Camelot. Jane dreams of a career in theater production, but when she falls in love with actor Bryce Christmas, a burgeoning musical icon, a lot gets in the way. While Jane is career focused, Bryce is hoping to get settled. Can both of them find their paths without losing the romance?

The novel is set in the 1960s and while readers explore the work that goes into creating a show, they are introduced to a play featuring King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The behind-the-scenes work and drama are brilliantly depicted. Eisenberg is a great storyteller who successfully switches between the first-person narrative voice and the third-person perspective, presenting the points of view of the key characters. The author plots well, never allowing the romantic plotline to dominate the narrative but intelligently exploring the inner worlds of the characters and their daily struggles. The setting is vividly drawn and while the pulse of Broadway and the show business occupies the bigger chunk of the setting, the author presents the cultural elements of the time with realism. One More Seat at the Round Table is an enthralling tale that is expertly written and that features memorable characters.