A Wedding in Great Neck

by Yona Zeldis McDonough

The Silverstein family is coming together in Great Neck, Long Island, for the nuptials of the youngest daughter. Always considered the favorite—and the object of much envy and resentment—Angelica has planned a fairy tale wedding to her fiancé, a former fighter pilot. But there are storm clouds on the horizon.

Gretchen, Angelica’s sister, is dealing with a failed marriage and her moody teenage daughter Justine. One brother is a callous businessman while the other is struggling with his search for love and a career. Her mother is in a battle of wills with the wedding planner, while her father, a recovering alcoholic, struggles to confront his ex-wife’s lavish new life in the Long Island manor of her dreams. And her grandmother Lenore has decided it’s high time to take charge and set her grandchildren on their proper paths.

Then an impulsive act by Justine puts the entire wedding at risk and brings the simmering family tensions to the boiling point. Before vows are exchanged, this day will change more than one life forever…

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Family, Romance, Contemporary, New York, Drama

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and many of my novels take place here. But my new novel takes place in New Hampshire, and I have woven into it a historical component: the tragic story of Ruth Blay, who in 1768 was the last woman hanged in the state. When I read about Ruth, I was fascinated and horrified in equal measure, and I knew I had to write about her.
I was educated at Vassar College and Columbia University, where I studied art history. But I started writing fiction in my 20's and never looked back. I am the author of seven novels, 27 books for children and am the editor of two essay collections. I'm also the fiction editor of Lilith Magazine . Please visit my website, http://www.yonazeldismcdonough.com or find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yzmcdonough; I love to connect with readers everywhere.

Reviews

[Nicole Snyder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it more and started to. I hated the end.

[Dione Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charmingly wonderful book about the struggles and quirks of one family during the course of one weekend. The family in this story, the Silversteins are a variety of personalities and emotions. There is Angelica, who is the youngest of the Silverstein siblings and the reason for the whole family gathering. Angelica is getting married and the entire family is attending her wedding at her mother and step father's home in Great Neck. In attendance is her mother Betsy (a little erratic), step father Don (very wealthy and sweet), father Lincoln (recovering alcoholic), grandmother Lenore (old fashioned matriarch), older sister Gretchen (separated from her husband and struggling to understand her two teenage twin daughters) and two brothers Caleb (sweet and emotional) and Teddy (somewhat an arrogant jerk). With all the family in attendance the weekend is filled with drama, scheming, heartbreak, struggles and love. Because like a lot of families, the Silversteins fight and argue amongst themselves but still greatly love one another, even if they don't show it outwardly.
This book is written in several different character POVs to show the dynamic relationships within the family. It's not a thriller or mystery so I wasn't expecting an action packed novel. It was a easy paced plot that opened up each character's story. The characters are realistic and developed in an unhurried fashion much like the story line. I thought this book was charming, it wasn't gripping by any means for me but it still had the allure and appeal since it's so realistic. I would recommend this book to anyone that isn't look for intense but rather just wanting to read for relaxation. I really did like this book but I would say that it is on the dry side of novels as far as what I would normally chose. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it, because it was a different change of pace.

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having read other author's comments about this book, I really expected a laugh-out-loud funny book. I may have smiled a couple of times, but the book just didn't live up to my expectations.
Angelica is the favored daughter and the book centers around that one day with Angelica's siblings, mother, grandmother, step-father, father, and nieces moving in and out of the day with all the drama you could possibly imagine. Troubled teens, estranged spouses, disappointed lovers...the list goes on. No one person was the focus, least of all, Angelica. I never developed a feel for any of the characters nor did I even remotely feel a "yeah, I've been there" moment during any of the events. Just too much going on and not enough development of any one character for me.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this as a FR giveaway and I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed this novel. The story is told from the point of view of numerous family members, so it is a bit busy, and there is a lot going on in the novel, but that just makes it a book that never gets boring. Each character has a lot of depth, and they are all so different, so it was fascinating to read about them and the dynamics of a dysfunctional Jewish family. I'm not Jewish, but you don't need to be Jewish to enjoy this novel. A cute read and I will definitely have to check out other books by Yona Zeldis McDonough!

[Amber Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me beak this down for you. Angelica is a spoiled rotten chit of a girl who has a sister, Gretchen. Gretchen is very whiney and doesn't deal with her teenage daughter Justine. Justine really needs her ass kicked for being such a brat. I liked Betsy and Lenore, the rest of the characters were annoying.

Really disliked this book. I was amazed that they pulled it all together enough to even have a wedding. And why did the book end that way? She was my favorite character.

[arabella rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw this one at the Great Neck library and simply had to pick it up. It wasn't the best book imo, BUT I really enjoyed seeing how the author viewed and wrote about Great Neck from an outsiders perspective in 2012. There were so many moments where they talked about how Great Neck is changing or why its so sought after that made me giggle. Overall it was a meh book. Plot was okay, ending was odd, characters were all over the place but tbh I don't if I would have even finished it if I hadn't grown up in Great Neck. The references are what kept me going haha

[Nina Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and I admit that was partly because I grew up in Great Neck and live there now. But it was an enjoyable story, albeit with a somewhat disappointing ending. No spoilers here... just wish it had ended differently.

[Maryann Sulic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this years ago and recalled it was good. When I saw it while browsing on-line, I decided to add it to my "Read" list.

[CC · Rating 2 out of 5]

really tried to like this... jumped around characters very quickly... would have probably rated higher, but ending was horrible...

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book to read! Feeling like I was a guest at this wedding, I got to know all the members of this family in this slice of life story.

[Aniko Nagyne vig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great beach read, an interesting family story and dynamics.

[Kari Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't bad but I didn't like the ending

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author... Bits of family dysfunction, squabbling, despair... All wrapped up in a wedding weekend

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wedding In Great Neck
by
Yona Zeldis McDonough

My " in a nutshell" summary...

A family wedding, lots of dysfunction and a surprise ending.

My thoughts after reading this book...

Interesting study of a family filled with quirky characters coming together on the day of the youngest daughter's wedding. The author threw in almost every dysfunction out there. Recovering alcoholism, teen drug issues, homosexuality, jealousy, divorce, infidelity, babies born out of wedlock, tooth aches, dog issues, bra fitting issues and more!

Most of the book took place on the day of this wedding so there were lots of temper tantrums, tears, and some really bad behavior. The author wanted this book to end with a sizzle and it did...sort of.

What I loved about this book...

I enjoyed the growth of some of the characters. I liked Betsy...the mom...Lenore...the grandmother...and Darling...the dog...perhaps Don...Betsy's second husband...he was a cool dude.

What I did not love...

Hmmm...I actually thought I would be penning a rave review about this book but in spite of all that went on...I am not smitten with it. Perhaps this book tried too hard to cover too many issues. I mean...everyone had a problem...at times the problems were simply annoying. Characters were just whining and out of sorts. I wanted to shake them! One example...Gretchen, oldest daughter, sees a gardener and sort of crushes on an exchange she has with him...two seconds later he is in a shed kissing her brother's boyfriend...the brother sees it and is in tears...minutes after professing how in love he and his boyfriend are!
Plus it sort of reminded me of The Three Weissman's Of Westport...just a bit...but this book didn't hold my attention the way that book did... I continued to want it to be more than it was. I feel so badly saying this...and it's not that it wasn't written well...but...for me it lacked a little something.

Final thoughts...

Ok...here we go...this book is a sort of interesting story about a family with many issues preparing for a wedding that evening.
Lots of dysfunctional behaviors...lots of family problems...maybe some solutions but I really didn't feel strongly about anyone in this family or care about their problems. Kind of
a " meh" feeling for all of them.
What I feel badly about was falling for the idea of this book. I saw the cover and bought it right away...I had other books I needed to read before this one...and after reading it I feel a little bit of a let down.

[Wendell Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wedding in Great Neck offers the pleasure of reading about a happy family. By that I don’t mean there aren’t plenty of conflicts, and secret agendas, and trouble for McDonough’s characters to create, and get into. But there is the Shakespearean notion that “All’s Well That Ends Well,” as McDonough, holds her invented world in her lovingly cupped hands. This family feels real, as they act out problems that typical families experience, rather than the dark dysfunction and abuse that is the focus of so much written today. McDonough believes in the redemption and necessity of family, not as something that we are condemned to, but as challenging our ability to grow and mature as individuals. And to that end, McDonough's characters are tested. How does a family get threatened, reconfigure itself, and reunite — is the overarching theme (and pleasure) to be found here. Think Downton Abbey. Why are we so satisfied with its story? It’s because, no matter what happens, the family, and in many respects the world the family co-creates, perseveres. They are committed to each other. Also we care about these characters, much as we care about the characters in Wedding in Great Neck. The many narrative voices in Wedding, male and female, young and old, are knitted together over one day, to create the expensive, fairy tale wedding for the beautiful, accomplished, favorite child. There is the appearance of perfection, with all the wonderfully described details contributing, like puzzle pieces, to keep that perfection intact. Meanwhile, everything is being threatened by the tensions roiling beneath—a classic set-up, as well as the fundamental drama driving the book forward. Will the family manage to break through to make appearance and reality congruent is the question that hangs over the “happy” event. How this unfolds is the experience offered. This is a swift read, although you’ll want to savor it. I recommend curling up with this book and allowing yourself to escape into this wedding confection, whose complex needs remind of us of our own family’s, in this vividly imagined world.

[Chelsey Wolford · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are introduced to the highly dysfunctional Silverstein family in Yona’s new book. We meet for the wedding of the baby sister, Angelica, and we are introduced to the entire family, which have come together for the event. Each chapter belongs to a member of the family who speaks about their experiences at the wedding and what is going on in their life at the current moment. Some readers are not fond of this method, but for the purpose of this book, it works great!

Yona creates such deep and complex characters. I honestly couldn’t say that I like reading about one more than another. I like the teenage twin sisters, but that is probably because I am a high school teacher and can relate to their ages. Every character has a back story and many of them are quite interesting to read. I love stories where you are able to see the dynamics of the entire family. Yona is able to give each character a different and exciting voice and added spark. I would think that developing this many characters would be exhausting, but she never falters; they are all exquisite!

You can really feel the emotions of this family and you really get a sense for the way that family dynamics really work. As each of their stories unravel readers really get a sense for the secrets that families sometimes keep. By the end of the book I felt the need to really go and hug my mom and dad because sometimes we all just take for granted the fact that our family will always stand by us. I felt like this book had such a realistic aspect to it as well because of course family and the wedding of one of its members usually get a little chaotic at times!

This book was a quick and fun read that made me wonder about my own wedding and how my own sometimes dysfunctional family will cooperate! This was a highly entertaining read!

***A huge thank you to the publishers at NAL and Yona Zeldis McDonough for my own copy of this book given to me in exchange for my honest review***

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up because the cover is so pretty! really didn’t expect much more that a quick read and a fun romance. Well....at least it was a quick read!

First, I’m going to start with the end and say I HATED IT! Up until the last two pages, I really enjoyed the book. I’m not going to spoil the ending by telling you what happened, but I really wish the author would have just ended the story two pages earlier. Then end served no purpose and felt like it was there because the author was running out of time and wasn’t sure how to end the story.

As you can tell from the title, a wedding is about to take place. The bride is the spoiled baby of the family with three older siblings. Her father, a recovering alcoholic, is divorced from her mother, who is currently married to the lifestyle of her dreams; the ‘queen’ of a manor with cash to spare. The bride has three siblings, and the oldest, a sister has twin teenage daughters, and is separated from her husband, who surprises her by making an appearance at the wedding. And best of all is Grandma Lenore, in her 80’s and a feisty, take-charge kinda girl!
The story all takes place in a matter of hours, the day of the wedding, and it’s a good thing the wedding isn’t until 7 pm, because there is a lot going on! At times things were a little predictable, but not so much so that it ruins the story. There are problems, arguments, jealousy and drama, but for the most part things get sorted out and end well. You should be able to finish this in a day if you have time to just sit and read. And there is a discussion guide at the end of the book. Just a word of advice. Turn to the back of the book and rip out the last two pages before you get started, and you will have a much better story!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for a fair review.

A Wedding in Great Neck by author Yona Zeldis McDonough was true to any crazy wedding day story with big families. There was the old beloved family matriarch. The frantic both idolized and hated bride. The mysterious groom. The couple working through the husband's infidelity. The teenage twins going through a faze of rebelliousness. The ex-husband working through his issues of his ex-wife married again very up in the world. The gay son finding out about his lover's affair in the worse way. The macho man of a brother turned soft by his woman. All of these crazy busy personalities were made up McDonough's novel. There were times when I wanted more scenes to be devoted to certain characters and not as much to others. I loved Grandmother Lenore but then hated scenes devoted to granddaughter Justine, and I don't think it was ever really answered on just why she pulled so many crazy stunts. In a novel so short with so many characters it was hard to come by character growth and realization but the writer worked it into the characters she focused the most on. Overall it was an enjoyable read especially if the reader has their own crazy family. I didn't care for the bittersweet ending but other than that it was an entertaining tale to read on a rainy day.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say this was not page turner for me. It was hard at times to get into it. It’s about a family having a wedding but everyone’s life is a dramatic mess. So the fact that everyone is a train wreck is interesting to read, but other than that the pace is slow. Gretchen becomes the sole point of this story but Lenore, the grandmother, has secrets that come out in the end. I read it but I won’t read it again.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wedding in Great Neck by Yona Zeldis McDonough
The Silverstein family is getting together for the youngest child wedding on Long Island, NY.
Problem is there are family situations that might spoil it all...
Confusing at the beginning as there are many names and spouses names thrown out. Not sure if the book comes with a family tree as I'm listening to this on a tape.
Justine wants to cause havoc and thinks the groom will go with her and then others will see that he's not meant for Angelica.
I feel each of the main children could have their own story=there is so much to each one of them.
Love the mystery of the ring as we find out others are cheating on their spouses...
A bit too much drama for me but was a fun read.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book thru Goodreads First Reads...thank you to Goodreads, Penguin Books, and the author, Yona Zeldis McDonough!

Weddings are usually a crazy affair, bringing out the absolute worst in everyone - and "A Wedding in Great Neck" is no exception. Dysfunctional characters run amuck: including ex-husbands, almost ex-husbands, angry pierced-up teenagers, meddling grandmothers, cheating boyfriends, and one bladder-challenged yapper. I enjoyed the organized dysfunction of this large family, centered around a fairy tale wedding (complete with an, almost, bridezilla). Many relationships are reshaped during this big event, some sans tears. The Silverstein bunch sounds so much like my family that I took an instant liking to the story and characters!

[Gregory Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly compelling read. "A Wedding in Great Neck" grabs you from the first page with characters that have a depth not often found in contemporary fiction -- from the newly-separated, older sister Gretchen, to her struggling father Lincoln, to the beautifully-realized, sympathetic grand dame Lenore. With a miniaturist's eye for detail, the author brings the "big day" at a palatial Long Island home to vivid, tumultuous life. "A Wedding in Great Neck" is vintage champagne poured with a sure and knowing hand. First-rate.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story takes place in the course of a single day-the wedding day of Anjelica and Ohed. The whole family has come, including grandma, the exes, and so on. While reading it I felt as if I had just gotten off the Long Island Railroad and was meeting the family for the first time. And, as will happen at a wedding everyone is a bit larger than life (for better or for worse). I found myself doong what I would be doing in real life: trying to figure out what everyone's REAL deal is. Is she as imperious as she seems; has he REALLY stopped drinking, and so on. It was great fun!

[Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

A book with true characters within a crazy family that is on high alert because it is a wedding where emotions are at the extreme and I loved every minute of it. Some books have too much crazy within their characters, but this family of characters were spot on they made me shake my head and laugh on the same page. With four generations all under the same roof the drama was bound to happen and it does!

[Sally Schloss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of anything that Yona Zeldis McDonough writes. She always draws rich, psychologically nuanced characters, and A Wedding in Great Neck is no exception. In this book, she creates a world in one day--and it's far from what it appears to be. The icing on the wedding cake, as it were, reveals a rich, chewy center. Curl up on your sofa with a pot of tea and give yourself a large slice of this delicious book—I’ll bet you’ll eat the whole thing!

[Karen Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Wedding in Great Neck is an enjoyable read - the kind of quick read that's perfect for tucking in your bag for the ride in the car, the airplane trip, or your vacation at the beach. And if you've ever been a mother of the bride, as I myself was recently, you will probably find yourself thinking back to all the little problems and snafus that happened along the way with your own daughter's wedding.

[Anita Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four generations of the Silverstein family gather at a Long Island mansion for the wedding of beautiful, brilliant, successful, envied Angelica and her fiance, a former Israeli fighter pilot. The bride and groom-to-be actually have minor roles and the focus is on her grandmother, Lenore; her parents and stepfather; two brothers; and her sister, husband and twin 15-year-old daughters. It is amazing how much drama can be packed into one 24-hour-period. It was entertaining.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read this author and I absolutely loved it! I couldn't put it down. The plot is basically about a family wedding and all the crazy antics that usually go along with them but the author writes each character with such depth and individuality that it was truly different that any other run of the mill chick-lit wedding day novel. I will certainly be looking for more of this author's works! 5 stars!

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The end- I hated it. Other than that I did enjoy most of the book- I'm a sucker for family dramas and this would delivered although I would have loved to hear Angelica or Teddy's story. They seemed to me the more interesting characters than Justine and Betsy. Betsy didn't feel that fleshed out as a character. I enjoyed this book until the last few chapters and then I started skimming through and then I got the end and was annoyed.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

As the title suggests, the story follows all of the family drama surrounding the wedding of the "favorite" daughter. Although some of the strands were compelling, I thought there was a little too much happening. It held my interest and I enjoyed the novel, but didn't leave me with a 'wow' feeling.