A Reason to See You Again

by Jami Attenberg

From New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg comes a dazzling novel of family, following a troubled mother and her two daughters over forty years and through a swiftly changing American landscape as they seek lives they can fully claim as their own. 

The women of the Cohen family are in crisis. Triggered by the death of their patriarch, Rudy, the glue that held them all together, everyone’s lives soon take a dramatic turn.

Shelly, the younger of the two Cohen sisters, runs off to the West Coast to immerse herself in the emerging (and lucrative) world of technology. Her sister, Nancy, gets married at the age of twenty-one to a traveling salesman with a shadowy lifestyle, while their mother, Frieda, hurls herself into a boozy, troubled existence in Miami, trying to forget the past even as it haunts her.

But they each learn in different ways that running from the past can’t save you—and then must make life-altering decisions about what they want their family to be and what they need to move forward.

Beginning in the 1970s and spanning forty years, A Reason to See You Again takes the reader on a kaleidoscopic journey through motherhood, the American workforce, the tech industry, the self-help movement, inherited trauma, the ever-evolving ways we communicate with one another, and the many unexpected forms that love can take.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Literary Fiction, Family, Family Drama, Contemporary

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2024

About the author

I'm the author of Instant Love, The Kept Man, The Melting Season, The Middlesteins, and Saint Mazie, All Grown Up, and All This Could Be Yours, and a memoir, I Came All This Way To Meet You: Writing Myself Home. You can find me on twitter @jamiattenberg. I am the founder of the #1000wordsofsummer annual writing project and have a newsletter called Craft Talk. In 2024 the book version of #1000wordsofsummer will be published along with a new novel. I'm originally from the Chicago area, lived in New York City for sixteen years, and am now happily a New Orleans resident.

Reviews

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

My reviews of Attenberg's novels are starting to feel repetitive. I always like where we start, feel like there's a lot of potential, but then never find myself feeling the kind of connection or involvement I want. And that's where we are again.

This novel, following the women of a family (ok once or twice we get a man in there but still) over several decades, did that thing where it kept skipping over everything interesting. You would learn of something that had happened but never get to see it, or you'd see an event but not its aftermath. The format didn't really work for me, after the first few chapters, the character I saw was never the one I wanted to see, the events depicted were never the ones I was curious about. Characters start to reckon with things but then never fully consider them. There wasn't enough there there for me.

I keep thinking maybe this will be the Attenberg I've been waiting for, but I think I need to just stop waiting.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t deep enough to be a character study but it wasn’t really plot driven either. So the reader is left with characters they can’t really connect with and no real plot to follow. I don’t need both but I do need one or the other to enjoy a book. This felt like a rough layout of what could have been made into a good read. Just wasn’t there yet.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.

[Jillian B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The women of the Cohen family have never quite understood one another. Mother Frieda is an alcoholic with deep internal pain, and frequently lashes out at her daughters. Older daughter Nancy seeks others’ approval, and tries to distance herself from her complicated family. Younger daughter Shelly sees her intelligence as a ticket out of her home life, and she often tilts into arrogance. This novel follows the women across four decades, beginning in 1971, as their relationships with one another ebb and flow, and their lives take unexpected turns.

I loved this book! I’m generally not one for generational sagas, but I thought these characters were so interesting to follow. They didn’t always make the choices I expected them to (and certainly didn’t always make the “right” ones), and the book’s twists and turns kept me up late to finish it! I think lit fic fans will really enjoy this one.

[Cherise Wolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Familial dysfunction writ large, a sad tale of stifled lives, opportunities grabbed that foreclose other ones, or that are lost, misshapen love, marriages that go awry, and heartbreak. There is a slight comedic tone, or that’s how I read it, which keeps the novel from being too weighted down by all the miseries. The Cohen women are the main draw - matriarch Frieda whose saving grace is the love she had for her husband, Rudy, a gentle Holocaust survivor, whose kindness and calm belied his experiences and the truths about himself. Their daughters: Shelly, with her brains, Nancy with her looks. The death of Rudy spins them away from one another, and yet. Covering decades and moving among the characters, their complicated relationships with one another continue to affect them, no matter the lives they make or mess up.

Thanks to Ecco and Netgalley for the arc.

[Rlkraus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each chapter is good. The characters work. The relationships feel real. But it feels like the book itself is absent. So much happens off the page, told to us instead of shown to us. Fascinating episodes and experiences are skimmed or skipped. It’s almost a story sorta-told.

[Tell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant family novel about sisters and mothers. I love the sweeping scope of generational novels that transport us through time: I'm always curious about where the characters will end up, how they'll shift, which societal pressures they'll conform to or be destroyed by. I couldn't have predicted a thing about any of these characters yet their fates aligned perfectly with what we understood about them at their cores. Attenberg has such a razor sharp eye when it comes to complicated family dynamics, understanding the ways families shift, contort, and alter themselves depending on who is in crisis- or who's creating the crisis.
A must-read if you love novels about sisterhood.

[Edward Champion · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Attenberg's desperate effort to recapture the "magic" of her overrated novel THE MIDDLESTEINS is less insufferable than usual (although she remains a vapid and mediocre writer), I do find it amazing that anyone could screw up a time jump "novel" (and frankly to call this series of vignettes a "novel" is a misnomer; it's more like a series of short stories published in some Long Island Penny Saver that nobody reads). We follow two sisters, Nancy and Shelley, from 1971 to 2007, and the pair are graphene-thin bores who do pretty much nothing but eat, fuck, and gossip and don't really develop at all. The stuff of literature! It's also embarrassing watching Attenberg attempt period authenticity with random cultural references to Lawrence Welk, Family Feud, Nagras at a garage sale, and Time Magazine covers. She clearly did almost no research at all. She clearly has very little imagination. And she clearly lacks any talent for mimicking period detail with any felicity or accuracy. She has made something of an effort to improve her prose, but that's probably more because Helen Atsma is a taskmaster. But ultimately Attenberg has no real vision to impart. No sense of urgency. The only reason she's written this is to get your money. I mean, again, HOW THE FUCK DO YOU SCREW UP A TIME JUMP STORY? That's a fucking slam dunk, man. Anybody who gives this five stars is not to be trusted.

[Marcia reading past dark · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Reason to See You Again” by Jami Attenberg is a well-written and very thought provoking. It’s the story of three generations of very strong women and their difficult lives within the most dysfunctional family one could imagine. The father is a Holocaust survivor, and the mother is a typical alcoholic, cycling in and out of anger.
This is a story of women, of mothers and daughters, and of their innate desire to survive and to succeed regardless of the worst circumstances. While reading this book, I thought of those who use a bad family life as excuse to sit and complain. Not the Cohen women! I loved all three of them: matriarch Frieda (Bless her heart, and pour her another), Shelly the scholar, and Nancy the beauty.
The dated chapters, 1971 to 2007, carry the characters through complex relationships with each other. The author has a wry wit, and even the darkest subjects are not too heavy nor depressing. What a story.

[Julie Breslow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre. Nothing special. Too many different character perspectives.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This narration didn't do anything for me. The time jumping, the sacrificing of internal monologue to wittiness. So many nominative sentences! The characters didn't really shine. Only a few actual scenes in the novel, and the rest is like a football commentary on who did what. I'm disappointed, as I've been waiting for this book. Oh well, on to the new Sally Rooney (they got published on the same day, what a bummer!).

[Casey Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This... this is not the Jami Attenberg I know and love?

[Amanda Dingman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had so much potential, but it fell flat so fast. :(

[Dianne Alvine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story about a dysfunctional family, who live in Chicago. It begins in 1971 through 2007. Rudy, the father, is a Holocaust survivor. His wife Frieda is a troubled woman who is an alcoholic. They have two daughters, Shelly and Nancy, who Frieda treats very critically. It is not a happy dynamic, especially after Rudy dies, as he was the glue that held them together.

Eventually, they all go their separate ways. There are times, however, when they manage to find their way back to each other. There are chapters that alternate between these characters that explore their resentment, their grudges, and their anger. There are themes of sexuality, secrecy, sisterhood, marriage, loneliness and heartbreak.

I can't say that I loved this book, but I didn't dislike it either. The characters had some meat on them, but not enough to draw me in, and want to keep turning the pages. I received this book as an uncorrected proof, from a Goodreads giveaway.

[Isabelle Barse · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn’t think I’d ever be able to rate a book about a complex mother/daughter/sister relationship spanning multiple decades anything less than 4 stars but here we are. really disappointed about this one because it had such good bones but it read like the outline of a really good book but missing all the meat. found myself unable to actually get into because the second you read about something interesting or meaningful happening to a character it would immediately switch years and perspectives and jump to the next event. tbh read hello beautiful instead 🫢

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was well-reviewed but I found it boring. It follows two daughters and their mother over a forty year period, beginning when the girls are young teenagers and ending when they are in their fifties. Things happen to them along the way, but life is like that. So what?

I found the characters unlikable and a bit flat. I only finished the book because it was short and I kept hoping for something interesting to happen. I was disappointed.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful novel by Jamie Attenberg from the opening scene of game night with the family I knew I was going to be drawn in by this dysfunctional family. So well written a story that unfolds with characters that will surprise you and keep you turning the pages.#netgalley #eccobooks

[Chris Brook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked okay - 2.5? - but didn't love. The way it's formatted it's hard to get into a rhythm; it covers a family over the course of almost 40 years in 220 or so pages, so it goes quick but it's difficult to stay invested when it's pressing the fast forward button so quickly.

[None Ofyourbusiness Loves Israel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Cohen family's existence is irrevocably changed by the demise of their patriarch, Rudy. His passing sets off a cascade of transformative events: Shelly, the younger daughter, flees to the West Coast, immersing herself in the burgeoning tech industry, while her sister, Nancy, weds a peripatetic salesman of questionable repute. Their mother, Frieda, descends into a tumultuous life in Miami, besieged by her past and seeking refuge in the numbing embrace of alcohol.

Spanning four decades, the book details the characters' struggles with their personal and shared traumas. Shelly's odyssey in the tech realm mirrors the swift metamorphosis of the American workforce (?), whereas Nancy's matrimonial entanglement reveals the complex nature of love and trust. Frieda's battle with her inner demons illustrates the enduring shadow of grief and the arduous quest for redemption. Each character's journey is punctuated by efforts to reconcile with their history and make consequential choices about their future.

Attenberg's narrative escorts us through the nuances of motherhood, self-discovery, lots of minor sexual encounters, and the evolving modes of communication. It examines the inherited traumas that sculpt our lives and the unforeseen manifestations of love. Through the prism of the Cohen family's endeavors to reclaim their identities and carve out new trajectories, we are supposedly presented with a slice of American life. Unfortunately, the characters did not resonate with me. I just think that they don't represent Americans, certainly no Jewish Americans I know, and I did not see why I should care about what happens to them. I read good reviews about this book and kept on reading in the hopes that I'll see what all the fuss is about. I couldn't find a good reason for it. Thankfully, the book is not so long.

[cyd⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a great book. astounding. Beautiful writing.. great idea. i love multi pov books 😌.
But honestly (coming from someone who LOVED the book..) this was weird.. (it jumped around a lot.. first we’re talking about Jess getting her hair cut and then we are on about how she hates her mom.. like what) what was going on most of the time? this jumped pov’s and timelines so much it was a little confusing, BUT nevertheless i found it really interesting.

(as i’m writing this smidge of the review i just finished one of Shelly’s pov’s) AHH i love shelly, she was one of my favorite characters🤭(but AH jess😍)
anyway i hated frieda (😒) she was mean and bratty, (older people can still indeed be bratty-.. they say “respect your elders” but uhh not if they don’t respect me😐☝️) i didn’t even wanna read her chapters- (but i did 😑) overall i just disliked the book with her in it (that’s why it’s a 4.5). but the rest of the book without her was still perfectly fine (!)


“and new underpants. and fall sweaters. and a notebook for math class. and hair clips to hold back her bangs from her face so she could finally see the world for the first time” that’s.. a lot of Ands. But real 😞. as someone with bangs.. i have not seen the real world, not once.


(4.5/5)⭐️🐈‍⬛

[britt_brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attenberg is an expert at family dramas. She writes believable, often relatable characters and dialogue. I saw her speak two years ago; she’s very cool and uniquely stylish. The kind of aura that makes you want grab a coffee with her. Multigenerational family stories are not something I’m usually drawn to. I think it’s because they often feel similar to one another. That’s probably an unfair generalization, but 1-2 a year is all I can handle.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in this book were strong- Rudy (Holocaust survivor closeted father), Frieda (a caregiver to everyone but her own children), Nancy (the overlooked sister, pretty and bitter), Shelly (the brilliant yet clueless sister ) and Jess (the granddaughter finding her way in this mess). All their dysfunctional certainly makes for an entertaining story. But it was spread out over decades, fraught with so much conflict that it got a little tiring.

[Jenny England · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. In the beginning when it was just a few characters, it was just a lot easier to follow along. I started getting confused about Who was who at the end when everybody had 19 ex husbands or wives.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly hopeful!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a highly dysfunctional family that seemed to have no real plot line.
2.5 stars

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. As it turns out, I have read several novels by this author and rated them with 3 stars. Those ratings weren’t based on the writing, but rather on the extreme dysfunction of the characters and families, which was repellant. This one, although another dysfunctional family story, somehow was better for me. Most of the characters had something positive about them and I stayed interested throughout.

[Christie Pardee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once again I am fooled by a gorgeous cover.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-crafted, female-centered story that I found interesting but not especially deep or moving. Still, I enjoyed following the central characters, a mother and two daughters, through the novel’s 40-year time span and episodic structure as they try to balance the push and pull of their relationships.

[Gizzard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better books I've read lately. Interesting family living life with generational trauma. The book skips around in time, and in voice, sometimes that felt choppy. It was nice to read a book that didn't hit you over the head with "edgy" sex.

[Eliza Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this taut, warm family novel… It felt a little incomplete to me but only because the father’s history as a Holocaust survivor was not meaningfully addressed after the very beginning, even though it felt like the novel was set up to do so. I would have liked more on that.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a moving and often heartbreaking intergenerational story about one Chicago Jewish family that's told over the course of several decades. Tracing the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, trauma, addiction and more, this was great on audio narrated by Stacey Glemboski and a standout adult fiction debut for me this year. I look forward to reading more by Jami Attenberg in the future.

CW: Holocaust survivor, alcohol addiction