Monday, January 25, 2010

This Is Where I Leave You: By Jonathan Tropper

THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU

SUMMARY

Judd Foxman's wife, Jen, has left him for his boss, a Howard Stern–like radio personality, but it is the death of his father and the week of sitting shivah with his enjoyably dysfunctional family that motivates him. Jen's announcement of her pregnancy—doubly tragic because of a previous miscarriage—is followed by the dramas of Judd's siblings: his sister, Wendy, is stuck in an emotionless marriage; brother Paul—always Judd's defender—and his wife struggle with infertility; and the charming youngest, Phillip, attempts a grown-up relationship that only highlights his rakishness. Presided over by their mother, a celebrated parenting expert despite her children's difficulties, the mourning period brings each of the family members to unexpected epiphanies about their own lives and each other.

REVIEW

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The characters are zany yet realistic, the narration insightful yet humorous, and the story fast paced and engaging. Tropper brings such an off the wall humor to an absurd cast of characters that you feel like you’re in your own family reunion. He has truly captured the awkwardness of a family reconnecting over the death of a loved one. But this story is so much more than that, it’s about; growing up, forgiveness, and the importance of family. This is a sensational book and I would recommend it to anyone I know.

INFO

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Published: August 6, 2009

Price: $25.95

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