Richard E Grant narrates the audiobook of Keith McNally’s candid memoir, which begins with the restaurateur’s suicide attempt at his Martha’s Vineyard summer house in 2018. The narrative then rewinds to 20 months earlier, when McNally suffered a stroke while visiting the National Gallery in London with his youngest children, leaving him with impaired speech and partial paralysis.
McNally, now 74, reflects on his career from bellboy at a London Hilton to teen actor and later maître d at New York’s One Fifth, before founding iconic establishments like The Odeon and Balthazar. His regrets include his divorces, being a part-time father to his eldest children, and publicly shaming James Corden for rudeness at one of his restaurants.
Despite the regrets, McNally finds joy in film, theatre, and memories of post-shift staff gatherings at The Odeon. Grant’s understated narration captures McNally’s mourning for his former self and his newfound introspection.
