Julia Amante’s Evenings at the Argentine Club, published by Grand Central Publishing in 2009, is mostly a cross-generational romance book with some Southern Cone twists. As the title suggests, a network of Argentine families gather at the Argentine Club. The old-timers, the immigrant generation see the gatherings as a way to maintain a connection to la patria and it’s costumbres like mate and meat. They also use it as an opportunity to compete and chismear. Which family is doing better than the others? Who raised the most successful children and what defines success is part of the problem.

What success is for the Torres and the Ortellis depends on what generation you are and your gender identity. For Victoria Torres, the 28 year old single and “overweight” elder child of the Torres familia, success is getting out from under her parents authority, especially her father, his restaurant La Parilla and his machismo. Apparently losing weight and finding a man to propose her also are included. Jaqueline Torres, Victoria’s mother is also struggling to succeed. Suffering from empty nest syndrome, she is lost as her husband continues to expand his business and financial success but not their marriage.

Enter Eric Ortelli to shake things up. The prodigal son of Antonio and Lucia who left to pursue success outside of the Argentine community, Eric will save marriages and women from spinsterhood, with a few trip ups and fistfights along the way.

In many ways Evenings at the Argentine Club is a little too predictable with the girl getting the boy and everyone living happily ever after but sometimes you need a fluffy book with a happy ending no? What sets this book apart from other chica/chic lit books is the conflict between cultures and generations. As children of Latin American immigrants are coming of age in the United States now more than ever, the struggle between old country ideals and morals and the looser modern way of the U.S. is a real issue and this book touches on that issue in an accessible way.

You can find out where to buy the book here.