Welcome to Summersville, USA

Welcome to Summersville is a humorous, satirical novel.

Sal D’ Angelo hopes to give his son, Randy, $1,500 to start college in 1972, but

is broke. Though Sal lacks restaurant experience, Pearl persuades him and his

family to run her luncheonette at her Catskill bungalow colony, claiming they’ll

profit $5,000.

The soda counter and vital kitchen equipment is old and unworkable, he

soon discovers. There’s no air conditioning or acoustical ceiling tiles to absorb

the deafening noise. Playing pinball, campers push, fight and shout. They curse

when they tilt the machine or when balls land in traps and they try to rewire

the machines to get free games. Sal’s wife touches a girl while leading her out

for screaming hysterically at a misbehaving ball, and her father threatens to sue.

Lounging, teens are reluctant to remove their feet from tables containing salt

and sugar they pile and squirt with ketchup. Two male dogs knock over chairs

while tearing after a female poodle in heat. Waiting on line for their orders, parents

push one another, demand better service, and curse the family for running out

of spaghetti.

Girls scream when the campers flap a dead snake on the counter. So do their

moms playing mahjong outside after receiving the same gift. A bully ties up the

D’ Angelos’ youngest son inside a dilapidated bungalow.

Before Sal leaves, Pearl falsely accuses him of taking home most of his stock

instead of leaving it for her. Consequently, she persuades Bernie, renter of the

machines, to give her Sal’s share after adjusting them to provide extra free games.

More curious about the obvious record take than angry, exhausted, Sal drives

home instead of calling the police.