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The Best We Could Hope For
From a #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a powerful novel about family, the weight of secrets, the choices we make, and the repercussions of the decisions made for us.
When Bunny Linden abandons her three children with her older sister, Jayne, in 1972, she knows Jayne will be the perfect mother. The mother Bunny herself, a teen runaway, could never be.
As months turn into years without word, Jayne and her husband, Rodger, a rising journalism star, strive to give the children the opportunity to flourish and feel loved. When Jayne and Rodger finally have a child of their own, a seemingly stable home is built. But then, after nearly a decade, Bunny resurfaces and sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives.
As adults, their children try to reassemble the pieces and solve the mystery that has always haunted them. Who were their parents? What really happened between them? And who is ultimately to blame for the destruction? But will the answers they seek set them free—or lead to something far more damaging than anyone imagined?
When Bunny Linden abandons her three children with her older sister, Jayne, in 1972, she knows Jayne will be the perfect mother. The mother Bunny herself, a teen runaway, could never be.
As months turn into years without word, Jayne and her husband, Rodger, a rising journalism star, strive to give the children the opportunity to flourish and feel loved. When Jayne and Rodger finally have a child of their own, a seemingly stable home is built. But then, after nearly a decade, Bunny resurfaces and sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives.
As adults, their children try to reassemble the pieces and solve the mystery that has always haunted them. Who were their parents? What really happened between them? And who is ultimately to blame for the destruction? But will the answers they seek set them free—or lead to something far more damaging than anyone imagined?
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
4464 people are currently reading
8330 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Kraus
20 books268 followersKraus graduated from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She met Emma McLaughlin while both were attending New York University, and working as nannies. She lived as a child at 1000 Park Avenue, whose residents she claims inspired some of the characters in her fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 487 reviews
November 19, 2024
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This book was dark and really sad but I liked it. This is a take on what childhood trauma can do to a family and how it reverberates through the generations until somebody stops the cycle. It shows how secrets can destroy an entire family.
There is so much to take in in this short novel. It was just 236 pages on my tablet, yet the author manages to cram in decades of this family's life from 1943 Maryland to 2013 New York. The author did a wonderful job engaging me and packed so much in. I'm glad the book was short because it was so terribly sad, but it didn't feel rushed or undone; it was perfect.
This one will stay with me for a long time because it was poignant and profound. The plot is well constructed, the characters are three-dimensional and the author writes in wonderful detail without getting too wordy. I love how the author paid attention to the specific time periods, she got the decades right regarding music clothing and TV shows.
This book was skillfully engaging, well crafted and handled some very serious, sensitive topical matters and it was done in a very sensitive way. It was ambitious and overall compelling. I'm trying really hard to avoid spoilers as this one is better going in blind. It is not for the faint of heart but I do recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
The Book Review Crew Blog
This book was dark and really sad but I liked it. This is a take on what childhood trauma can do to a family and how it reverberates through the generations until somebody stops the cycle. It shows how secrets can destroy an entire family.
There is so much to take in in this short novel. It was just 236 pages on my tablet, yet the author manages to cram in decades of this family's life from 1943 Maryland to 2013 New York. The author did a wonderful job engaging me and packed so much in. I'm glad the book was short because it was so terribly sad, but it didn't feel rushed or undone; it was perfect.
This one will stay with me for a long time because it was poignant and profound. The plot is well constructed, the characters are three-dimensional and the author writes in wonderful detail without getting too wordy. I love how the author paid attention to the specific time periods, she got the decades right regarding music clothing and TV shows.
This book was skillfully engaging, well crafted and handled some very serious, sensitive topical matters and it was done in a very sensitive way. It was ambitious and overall compelling. I'm trying really hard to avoid spoilers as this one is better going in blind. It is not for the faint of heart but I do recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
April 9, 2025
At first, I didn't think I'd get on with this book. I didn't like the way it was written. Every paragraph felt like a draft, brief, surface level, no real depth. After a few chapters, I got on board with it, and I'm glad I did because this book is about everything that isn't said, which works well for this writing style.
Jayne and Barbara (Bunny) aren't particularly close sisters. Bunny runs away as a teen. She keeps in touch here and there, but nothing is consistent. Then she reappears years later with 3 children in tow, which she abandons with Jayne.
Bunny is sad, broken, and unstable. Jayne is put together, solid, reliable. There is so much unsaid between these sisters.
And without meaning too, with the best intentions, between them, they are going to create 6 messed up children which we follow into adulthood.
This is a sad book full of uncertain characters. It's dysfunctional and horrific. These mothers are products of their time and circumstance. We can only watch the ramifications of that on their children.
This is a very short book, 230 odd pages, but it pulls you in and gut punches on more than one occasion.
Five stars - I'll be thinking about all these characters for a while.
Jayne and Barbara (Bunny) aren't particularly close sisters. Bunny runs away as a teen. She keeps in touch here and there, but nothing is consistent. Then she reappears years later with 3 children in tow, which she abandons with Jayne.
Bunny is sad, broken, and unstable. Jayne is put together, solid, reliable. There is so much unsaid between these sisters.
And without meaning too, with the best intentions, between them, they are going to create 6 messed up children which we follow into adulthood.
This is a sad book full of uncertain characters. It's dysfunctional and horrific. These mothers are products of their time and circumstance. We can only watch the ramifications of that on their children.
This is a very short book, 230 odd pages, but it pulls you in and gut punches on more than one occasion.
Five stars - I'll be thinking about all these characters for a while.
May 9, 2025
EXCERPT: And now my daughter is sitting with all my choices, and she has no idea what to do with them. How many beige cardigans did one woman need, she thinks. And who was this woman? She cleans and sorts and tries to make sense of it all - and other times she sits on the floor of my room and she cannot move.
She cannot move.
If I had not - if he had not - is she had not - but I did and he did and she did - and our parents did - and their parents did - back and back to the first drought, the first failed crop, the first spike of rage taken out on someone smaller, weaker, more vulnerable nearby who learns a new option - a new choice. And so, it goes. She cannot move.
But she will.
She will peel back the coverlet and empty the drawers and sift the jewelry - she will make the calls and find the realtor and disperse my choices, all the while asking why, why, why - and I will be revealed to be everywhere and nowhere.
I was not supposed to be here.
ABOUT 'THE BEST WE COULD HOPE FOR': A powerful novel about family, the weight of secrets, the choices we make, and the repercussions of the decisions made for us.
When Bunny Linden abandons her three children with her older sister, Jayne, in 1972, she knows Jayne will be the perfect mother. The mother Bunny, a teen runaway, could never be.
As months turn into years without word, Jayne and her husband, Rodger, a rising journalism star, strive to give the children the opportunity to flourish and feel loved. When Jayne and Rodger finally have a child of their own, a seemingly stable home is built. But then, after nearly a decade, Bunny resurfaces and sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives.
As adults, their children try to reassemble the pieces and solve the mystery that has always haunted them. Who were their parents? What really happened between them? And who is ultimately to blame for the destruction? But will the answers they seek set them free—or lead to something far more damaging than anyone imagined?
MY THOUGHTS: I fell in love with the early chapters of The Best We Could Hope For. My brain was firing out '5-star' signals, but the second third of the book left me feeling disenchanted and confused. I felt like the author was 'trying' to hard and had swallowed a thesaurus from which she was disgorging words onto the pages as fast as she could.
' . . . returning home to a place pullulating with creativity . . .' (she uses pullulating several times).
'Linden's desire for Rodger's accountability was somehow simultaneously symptomatic of a sexual inversion, a cultural Electra complex, and an Ophelia-like hysteria . . .'
' . . . both women understand the chiaroscuro of their family . . .'
It's not easy reading . . .
This is a very dysfunctional family. I expected to feel strong emotions as I read, but I felt nothing which perhaps the author intended as it is written in a distanced and flat manner, despite the posturing and shouting and accusations of sexual abuse.
I came around a little in the final third, but finished dissatisfied and with many questions unanswered - the biggest being, was there actually any sexual abuse or was it just Jayne exacting her revenge on her husband for leaving her for her younger sister?
Jayne, despite the fact that she took in Bunny's children and raised them as her own, was not a nice person and I could quite believe her schooling Lin to believe she had been abused.
There are large gaps in the timeline and the narrative pov changes often and without warning or indication.
I get the message about intergenerational family trauma, but I think there must be a better way of delivering it.
Please note: the sexual abuse mentioned is not described at all, merely alluded to. There are some open door sex scenes in the text but they are not overly graphic.
Not for me.
⭐⭐
#TheBestWeCouldHopeFor #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: Kraus graduated from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She lived as a child at 1000 Park Avenue, whose residents she claims inspired some of the characters in her fiction.
The Best We Could Hope For is her first 'solo' novel following a successful career coauthoring 10 novels with Emma McLaughlin.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Little A via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinion.
She cannot move.
If I had not - if he had not - is she had not - but I did and he did and she did - and our parents did - and their parents did - back and back to the first drought, the first failed crop, the first spike of rage taken out on someone smaller, weaker, more vulnerable nearby who learns a new option - a new choice. And so, it goes. She cannot move.
But she will.
She will peel back the coverlet and empty the drawers and sift the jewelry - she will make the calls and find the realtor and disperse my choices, all the while asking why, why, why - and I will be revealed to be everywhere and nowhere.
I was not supposed to be here.
ABOUT 'THE BEST WE COULD HOPE FOR': A powerful novel about family, the weight of secrets, the choices we make, and the repercussions of the decisions made for us.
When Bunny Linden abandons her three children with her older sister, Jayne, in 1972, she knows Jayne will be the perfect mother. The mother Bunny, a teen runaway, could never be.
As months turn into years without word, Jayne and her husband, Rodger, a rising journalism star, strive to give the children the opportunity to flourish and feel loved. When Jayne and Rodger finally have a child of their own, a seemingly stable home is built. But then, after nearly a decade, Bunny resurfaces and sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives.
As adults, their children try to reassemble the pieces and solve the mystery that has always haunted them. Who were their parents? What really happened between them? And who is ultimately to blame for the destruction? But will the answers they seek set them free—or lead to something far more damaging than anyone imagined?
MY THOUGHTS: I fell in love with the early chapters of The Best We Could Hope For. My brain was firing out '5-star' signals, but the second third of the book left me feeling disenchanted and confused. I felt like the author was 'trying' to hard and had swallowed a thesaurus from which she was disgorging words onto the pages as fast as she could.
' . . . returning home to a place pullulating with creativity . . .' (she uses pullulating several times).
'Linden's desire for Rodger's accountability was somehow simultaneously symptomatic of a sexual inversion, a cultural Electra complex, and an Ophelia-like hysteria . . .'
' . . . both women understand the chiaroscuro of their family . . .'
It's not easy reading . . .
This is a very dysfunctional family. I expected to feel strong emotions as I read, but I felt nothing which perhaps the author intended as it is written in a distanced and flat manner, despite the posturing and shouting and accusations of sexual abuse.
I came around a little in the final third, but finished dissatisfied and with many questions unanswered - the biggest being, was there actually any sexual abuse or was it just Jayne exacting her revenge on her husband for leaving her for her younger sister?
Jayne, despite the fact that she took in Bunny's children and raised them as her own, was not a nice person and I could quite believe her schooling Lin to believe she had been abused.
There are large gaps in the timeline and the narrative pov changes often and without warning or indication.
I get the message about intergenerational family trauma, but I think there must be a better way of delivering it.
Please note: the sexual abuse mentioned is not described at all, merely alluded to. There are some open door sex scenes in the text but they are not overly graphic.
Not for me.
⭐⭐
#TheBestWeCouldHopeFor #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: Kraus graduated from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She lived as a child at 1000 Park Avenue, whose residents she claims inspired some of the characters in her fiction.
The Best We Could Hope For is her first 'solo' novel following a successful career coauthoring 10 novels with Emma McLaughlin.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Little A via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinion.
May 8, 2025
1972, New York City. Bunny Linden leaves her three children Sage, Buck and Brian with her older sister, Jayne and her husband Rodger and as she knows she’s better equipped to be a mother than herself. Bunny ran away from home at sixteen when Jayne was at college and she has no idea why?
Jayne has always wanted to be a mother, Rodger is a journalist and author, and they both agree to look after Bunny’s children. After years of trying and disappointments the couple finally have a child of their own and from Jayne’s perspective they have the perfect life and family and she’s content.
After being gone for over a decade, Bunny returns and only her two oldest children remember her and Brian the youngest considers Jayne to be his mother and it sets off a chain of events that destroys the family and it all falls apart.
As an adult Linden Donoghue, Jayne and Rodgers daughter tries to work out what happened, why Bunny run away from home as a teenager, left her three children with her parents for ten years and then returned and ruined everything.
I received a copy of The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus from NetGalley and Little A publishing in exchange for an unbiased review. The narrative is about families, relationships, society’s expectations and how they changed, the things polite people didn’t talk about, like child abuse and this could be a trigger for some people, neglect and divorce and most of all secrets and cover ups and trying to move forward.
A quick and thought provoking read, the main theme being learning from the past and bringing closure and four stars from me.
Jayne has always wanted to be a mother, Rodger is a journalist and author, and they both agree to look after Bunny’s children. After years of trying and disappointments the couple finally have a child of their own and from Jayne’s perspective they have the perfect life and family and she’s content.
After being gone for over a decade, Bunny returns and only her two oldest children remember her and Brian the youngest considers Jayne to be his mother and it sets off a chain of events that destroys the family and it all falls apart.
As an adult Linden Donoghue, Jayne and Rodgers daughter tries to work out what happened, why Bunny run away from home as a teenager, left her three children with her parents for ten years and then returned and ruined everything.
I received a copy of The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus from NetGalley and Little A publishing in exchange for an unbiased review. The narrative is about families, relationships, society’s expectations and how they changed, the things polite people didn’t talk about, like child abuse and this could be a trigger for some people, neglect and divorce and most of all secrets and cover ups and trying to move forward.
A quick and thought provoking read, the main theme being learning from the past and bringing closure and four stars from me.
May 29, 2025
In 1972 Bunny Linden leaves her three children with her older sister, Jayne, and disappears. Jayne and her husband, Rodger, a rising journalism star, raise the children and, after they have a child of their own, build a seemingly stable home. But then, after nearly a decade, Bunny resurfaces and sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives.
I have mixed feelings about this book. When I started reading it I was totally immersed in the story and didn't want to put it down but somewhere along the way I lost interest and couldn't wait to finish it. It was almost like a different author took over the writing. Reading the author's Acknowledgements at the end, she indicates it took her 8 years to write which could account for the difference. There are some really strange passages and lots of big words that I had to look up which took me out of the story. I also found the gaps in the timeline confusing and had to flip back to remind myself what year we were in. I'm a bit of an outlier on this one so check out some of the more positive reviews. Once again I believe I was lured in by the cover!
Thanks to Little A, via Netgalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: May 1, 2025
I have mixed feelings about this book. When I started reading it I was totally immersed in the story and didn't want to put it down but somewhere along the way I lost interest and couldn't wait to finish it. It was almost like a different author took over the writing. Reading the author's Acknowledgements at the end, she indicates it took her 8 years to write which could account for the difference. There are some really strange passages and lots of big words that I had to look up which took me out of the story. I also found the gaps in the timeline confusing and had to flip back to remind myself what year we were in. I'm a bit of an outlier on this one so check out some of the more positive reviews. Once again I believe I was lured in by the cover!
Thanks to Little A, via Netgalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: May 1, 2025
April 7, 2025
Where was the emotion? The storytelling? The connection? This read like a list of facts and events. In the first 50 pages Jayne goes to college in the 60’s, meets and marries her husband, has a job at a museum and all of those major life events is given one sentence a piece. People are born and major characters die and we find out years later and in such a brief and inconsequential way. Things get increasingly messy as the story unfolds but nothing is plainly stated and I found it hard to follow what was true and what wasn’t or where anyone was in their life.
The writing was poor and the author often sounded like she was trying too hard.
It was hard to follow at times and I found myself re-reading paragraphs to try and grasp what I was reading. I didn’t like the POV mysteriously and unreliably changing. It was hard to keep the voices and timelines in check this way. Major chunks of time are skipped which did not help the story building. There is no scene setting or emotional connection between anyone. Everything is laid out rather factually which was boring and I wanted to DNF many times. Even after finishing it I’m still not sure what the point of everything was. I also didn’t understand the epilogue…I feel like the last few sentences were meant to make an impact I just didn’t get (specifically the words the baby spoke. Why?!? 🤷♀️).
We only spend time in the negative. Good things do happen to these characters but we only see the aftermath. I'm having a hard time coming up with a single positive life event for any of the 46 people in this book that isn’t treated like a footnote or mentioned in passing.
I can’t recommend this and am seriously surprised there isn’t a trigger warning at the start. If child sexual abuse is a sensitive topic for you, steer clear! This was chaotic, depressing, and trauma filled with no reward or clear plan for the storytelling. The author's acknowledgment at the end says it took her 8 years to write this and it reads like she just picked up where she left off with no outline, wrote for a while before stepping away and giving her characters no thought in the meantime. I set my expectations pretty low for Amazon First Reads picks and sadly, this one definitely met that bar.
The writing was poor and the author often sounded like she was trying too hard.
“The broker simply exhales her opprobrium and says…”
“And Roger continues his inexorable tunneling into the brains of the cognoscenti”
“‘We can’t do this,’ she’ll say, half dressed, half undressed, half of this room, half ready to be of the rooms and rooms and rooms that are not this one.”
“(His) accountability was somehow simultaneously symptomatic of a sexual inversion, a cultural Electra complex, and an Ophelia-like hysteria that could only ultimately consume itself.”
It was hard to follow at times and I found myself re-reading paragraphs to try and grasp what I was reading. I didn’t like the POV mysteriously and unreliably changing. It was hard to keep the voices and timelines in check this way. Major chunks of time are skipped which did not help the story building. There is no scene setting or emotional connection between anyone. Everything is laid out rather factually which was boring and I wanted to DNF many times. Even after finishing it I’m still not sure what the point of everything was. I also didn’t understand the epilogue…I feel like the last few sentences were meant to make an impact I just didn’t get (specifically the words the baby spoke. Why?!? 🤷♀️).
We only spend time in the negative. Good things do happen to these characters but we only see the aftermath. I'm having a hard time coming up with a single positive life event for any of the 46 people in this book that isn’t treated like a footnote or mentioned in passing.
I can’t recommend this and am seriously surprised there isn’t a trigger warning at the start. If child sexual abuse is a sensitive topic for you, steer clear! This was chaotic, depressing, and trauma filled with no reward or clear plan for the storytelling. The author's acknowledgment at the end says it took her 8 years to write this and it reads like she just picked up where she left off with no outline, wrote for a while before stepping away and giving her characters no thought in the meantime. I set my expectations pretty low for Amazon First Reads picks and sadly, this one definitely met that bar.
July 29, 2024
Okay, I will preface this by saying I didn't know the author of The Nanny Diaries (which I have never read but was forced to once watch the movie and swiftly forgot it existed) could write something so dark, and poignant, and profound about families and the way trauma is passed down through generations and I know this is because I am a judgmental asshole sometimes so here I am saying, I highly recommend this novel. I want to stay with the characters and could have read about them for way longer and I already miss them.
Cheers to the publishers and netgalley for the arc. Everyone should read this when it comes out next May if you like the aforementioned darkness.
Cheers to the publishers and netgalley for the arc. Everyone should read this when it comes out next May if you like the aforementioned darkness.
May 12, 2025
I hoped for the BEST when selecting
"THE BEST WE COULD HOPE FOR".
The BEST of this BEST book:
1) A protagonist named Jayne -- (Yes, Jayne with a "y"! )
It doesn't get better than that!
2) The book's generational trauma/dysfunctional family theme was compelling and ambitious
TWS:
Child abuse, mental health struggles
Had these TWs been revealed, I never would have selected the book.
In addition, the book showcased too many characters and had pacing problems.
1) The book spans over 50 years with many POVs, waaay too long a period for an audiobook that was less than 8 hours.
The book's timeline had wide gaps with POV changes often without warning.
I prefer fewer well-developed characters over a shorter time span.
2) Even though the book jumped ahead to different years, the overall pacing within the years was slow, lacking the sizzle and element of excitement I was seeking.
I listened to the audiobook read by Helen Laser. Her narration was good but not great.
Since there were many POVs and abrupt timeline changes, the book would have benefited from a full cast of narrators.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus.
This novel is a stunning, powerful story of a family and how generational trauma stains an entire family history.
The book had a nice pace, but I almost would have liked two separate books… I would have liked to spend more time with each of the characters. I wanted more time with Jayne and Bunny, more time with Lin and Sage. With that said, the author does a beautiful job of showing the differences between generations, especially highlighting how secrets can destroy the very thing that keeps the family unit together.
This book is a warning. To anyone raising littles… protect your babies by healing yourself. Find the answers behind your behaviour, and move forward with love and peace. We don’t have to keep repeating the cycles. We don’t have to pass down the trauma.
This novel is a stunning, powerful story of a family and how generational trauma stains an entire family history.
The book had a nice pace, but I almost would have liked two separate books… I would have liked to spend more time with each of the characters. I wanted more time with Jayne and Bunny, more time with Lin and Sage. With that said, the author does a beautiful job of showing the differences between generations, especially highlighting how secrets can destroy the very thing that keeps the family unit together.
This book is a warning. To anyone raising littles… protect your babies by healing yourself. Find the answers behind your behaviour, and move forward with love and peace. We don’t have to keep repeating the cycles. We don’t have to pass down the trauma.
April 30, 2025
One family enveloped in secrets, generational trauma, abandonment, grief, loss, and suffering, along with the drama and dysfunction that seems to go hand-in-hand through three generations. So much unbelievable crazy enfolds over the decades, including forbidden love that’s not limited to just one, but two generations. You can really tell that Kraus is a native New Yorker. She has so perfectly laid out the differences of residing in New York City’s upper East from West sides, and the role that plays in these individuals lives. There’s 80s-90s culture.. doc martens, remember them.. a bitter divorce with a terrible bad thing put on a child, by her mother, that I still feel wasn’t wrapped up with any real closure. It’s a complex story involving relationships, questioning what really happened before, and how we carry things and pass them on to the next generation. 4 stars — Pub. 5/1/25
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2024
This is a deeply sad and moving look at generational trauma in a family.
Bunny and Jayne are sisters raised in a wealthy family. Their older brothers run off to the west coast and while Jayne is at school Bunny leaves to live “in a hippy compound”. I felt the stilted way this was addressed was a good reflection of the time period and social attitudes of the 1950s. Jayne is focused on graduating college and getting married. She doesn’t outright say that her childhood was abusive. She uses words like “hard to get to know” or “cold” or “hard working” when talking about her father. He was down right abusive to his family and it was never openly discussed.
After Bunny runs away as a teenager she resurfaces in the 1970s with 3 children that she is emotionally and physically unable to take care of. The book categorized her as irresponsible rather than mentally unstable. It’s up to Jayne and her husband Rodger to raise the kids as their own. Its clear that Bunny is suffering some sort of mental breakdown.
This story focuses on Jayne and Bunny and then later on their 5 children. I thought the plot was well orchestrated to cover decades of family life.
It follows their daughter Lindon that is reeling from her complicated and traumatic childhood. I think a lot of millennials will relate to the characters in this book. There are so many secrets in this family that no one talks about and so much trauma that is never talked about or dealt with. This book tackles the reality of motherhood. A broken person makes choices and those choices and decisions become their life. If you don’t heal and deal with the pain and trauma that you experience it will manifest in your actions and affect the next generation.
I felt there was a lot to absorb in such a short book. At times the plot slowed down and got a little confusing with all the characters. By the end of the book I really enjoyed and understood the point that author was trying to make. I really respected the character Lindon for going to such lengths to work though and learn from her trauma.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes a family drama.
Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Bunny and Jayne are sisters raised in a wealthy family. Their older brothers run off to the west coast and while Jayne is at school Bunny leaves to live “in a hippy compound”. I felt the stilted way this was addressed was a good reflection of the time period and social attitudes of the 1950s. Jayne is focused on graduating college and getting married. She doesn’t outright say that her childhood was abusive. She uses words like “hard to get to know” or “cold” or “hard working” when talking about her father. He was down right abusive to his family and it was never openly discussed.
After Bunny runs away as a teenager she resurfaces in the 1970s with 3 children that she is emotionally and physically unable to take care of. The book categorized her as irresponsible rather than mentally unstable. It’s up to Jayne and her husband Rodger to raise the kids as their own. Its clear that Bunny is suffering some sort of mental breakdown.
This story focuses on Jayne and Bunny and then later on their 5 children. I thought the plot was well orchestrated to cover decades of family life.
It follows their daughter Lindon that is reeling from her complicated and traumatic childhood. I think a lot of millennials will relate to the characters in this book. There are so many secrets in this family that no one talks about and so much trauma that is never talked about or dealt with. This book tackles the reality of motherhood. A broken person makes choices and those choices and decisions become their life. If you don’t heal and deal with the pain and trauma that you experience it will manifest in your actions and affect the next generation.
I felt there was a lot to absorb in such a short book. At times the plot slowed down and got a little confusing with all the characters. By the end of the book I really enjoyed and understood the point that author was trying to make. I really respected the character Lindon for going to such lengths to work though and learn from her trauma.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes a family drama.
Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 1, 2024
Whew, family is complicated....
This family centered drama was dramatic (some moments where definitely giving Jerry Springer!), traumatic, and a page turner!
I didn't find any of the characters truly likable or redeemable, but that felt honest and relatable through and through.
There was a level of nuance in each character that was done well. Even though I may not have agreed with their actions, I wanted the best for them and truly empathized with them.
I appreciate the time jumps and consistently changing POVs. It made for a well rounded read and perspective across all of the issues the family was facing. I think the author handled the variety of issues well especially in the context of the generations and eras in which they were happening and/or in relation to the people it was happening to/around and their perception given when they grew up/lived. Truly a thoughtful experience.
It was short but didn't feel like it was missing anything. I felt like death was a cop out for a few characters and wish we got more of some side characters, but ultimately happy with this read.
This family centered drama was dramatic (some moments where definitely giving Jerry Springer!), traumatic, and a page turner!
I didn't find any of the characters truly likable or redeemable, but that felt honest and relatable through and through.
There was a level of nuance in each character that was done well. Even though I may not have agreed with their actions, I wanted the best for them and truly empathized with them.
I appreciate the time jumps and consistently changing POVs. It made for a well rounded read and perspective across all of the issues the family was facing. I think the author handled the variety of issues well especially in the context of the generations and eras in which they were happening and/or in relation to the people it was happening to/around and their perception given when they grew up/lived. Truly a thoughtful experience.
It was short but didn't feel like it was missing anything. I felt like death was a cop out for a few characters and wish we got more of some side characters, but ultimately happy with this read.
April 3, 2025
The Best We Could Hope For is a novel about the secrets that families keep from themselves. It's about the standards we hold ourselves to that we think will make us better people. And most of all it's about never facing the problems any of the family experiences.
In this multigenerational family, people disappear for no apparent reason, or at least that is how it is experienced by the younger generation. Margaret, the Matriarch of the family, controls the narrative.
And so it goes into the next generation, Jayne holding on to the conventions she's been taught. Rigidly raising her children and callously cutting them off when their rebellious behavior crosses her "perfection" standards.
Leaving the tender-hearted young ones to unravel the mysteries of why, what, where, and when. When the youngest granddaughter, Linden, goes in search of the truth. She finds so much more than what she bargained for.
The Best We Could Hope for is a cry for help, an aching for understanding, a need for freedom, and, most of all, a desire for forgiveness for families who do the best they can.
Written with exquisite insight into the emotions of dysfunctional families, the Author, Nicola Kraus, draws the reader into the heart of the relationships.
I was exhausted after finishing the book and left with many questions that hadn't been resolved. But then, isn't that the reality of most complicated family relationships?
In this multigenerational family, people disappear for no apparent reason, or at least that is how it is experienced by the younger generation. Margaret, the Matriarch of the family, controls the narrative.
And so it goes into the next generation, Jayne holding on to the conventions she's been taught. Rigidly raising her children and callously cutting them off when their rebellious behavior crosses her "perfection" standards.
Leaving the tender-hearted young ones to unravel the mysteries of why, what, where, and when. When the youngest granddaughter, Linden, goes in search of the truth. She finds so much more than what she bargained for.
The Best We Could Hope for is a cry for help, an aching for understanding, a need for freedom, and, most of all, a desire for forgiveness for families who do the best they can.
Written with exquisite insight into the emotions of dysfunctional families, the Author, Nicola Kraus, draws the reader into the heart of the relationships.
I was exhausted after finishing the book and left with many questions that hadn't been resolved. But then, isn't that the reality of most complicated family relationships?
December 20, 2025
The Best We Could Hope For is the ninth stand-alone novel by American author, Nicola Kraus. In 1943, four-year-old Jayne Linden grazes her knee and is told by her mother, Margaret, “You’re fine”. In identical circumstances, in 1979, Jayne says the same to her four-year-old daughter, Linden. At four, Jayne is told to look out for two-year-old Bunny, whom she feels is favoured by her father.
Widowed young, Margaret was raising two boys alone when Joe Linden proposed, and her overriding raison d’etre was to appear to be a good wife and mother. Dutifully, Jayne excels at school, goes to college, meets journalism student Rodger Donoghue and marries. While she’s at Radcliffe, she learns that sixteen-year-old Bunny has run away.
A letter to Jayne some months later locates her in Georgia, but when she tells Margaret, who has always excelled at “distinguishing briskly between those who truly deserve aid from the Auxiliary and those who just made poor choices”, it’s made clear that no mention of her younger sister is welcome, because Bunny has made her choices.
In 1972, with Rodger trying to build his career, Jayne ends up quitting her museum when Bunny deposits her three young children, Sage, Huck and Barry, each from a different father, with the sister she knows will care for them. Instantly a mother of three, Jayne copes. In fact, copes well, and births two of her own: Linden and Clyde.
But when Bunny returns, it sets off a cascade of events: infidelity, divorce, a custody battle over the five children, and an accusation of child molestation that splits the family and results in many years of estrangement. Even acknowledging the plasticity of memory, the astute reader may recall a snippet of information that casts doubt on the accusation. Is that scepticism justified?
Trying to learn the truth, Lin observes “Jayne’s world is cut into neat categories – good, bad, with me, against me – and Lin is starting to suspect that sanity might be the ability to hold a dichotomy, embrace paradox. Perhaps you love your sister and hate your sister – but if you only hold one of these truths, where does that leave you?”
Kraus gives the reader a sad and sometimes dark tale of dysfunctional families that spans almost seventy years, populated by characters with depth, if not always appeal. A thought-provoking, engaging and insightful read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers
Widowed young, Margaret was raising two boys alone when Joe Linden proposed, and her overriding raison d’etre was to appear to be a good wife and mother. Dutifully, Jayne excels at school, goes to college, meets journalism student Rodger Donoghue and marries. While she’s at Radcliffe, she learns that sixteen-year-old Bunny has run away.
A letter to Jayne some months later locates her in Georgia, but when she tells Margaret, who has always excelled at “distinguishing briskly between those who truly deserve aid from the Auxiliary and those who just made poor choices”, it’s made clear that no mention of her younger sister is welcome, because Bunny has made her choices.
In 1972, with Rodger trying to build his career, Jayne ends up quitting her museum when Bunny deposits her three young children, Sage, Huck and Barry, each from a different father, with the sister she knows will care for them. Instantly a mother of three, Jayne copes. In fact, copes well, and births two of her own: Linden and Clyde.
But when Bunny returns, it sets off a cascade of events: infidelity, divorce, a custody battle over the five children, and an accusation of child molestation that splits the family and results in many years of estrangement. Even acknowledging the plasticity of memory, the astute reader may recall a snippet of information that casts doubt on the accusation. Is that scepticism justified?
Trying to learn the truth, Lin observes “Jayne’s world is cut into neat categories – good, bad, with me, against me – and Lin is starting to suspect that sanity might be the ability to hold a dichotomy, embrace paradox. Perhaps you love your sister and hate your sister – but if you only hold one of these truths, where does that leave you?”
Kraus gives the reader a sad and sometimes dark tale of dysfunctional families that spans almost seventy years, populated by characters with depth, if not always appeal. A thought-provoking, engaging and insightful read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers
April 24, 2025
This is a very deep and dark family drama. Sometimes the best books are about dysfunctional families. Not every family is picture perfect. And, most people do not want to read about people who live in Happyland. But, this family goes above and beyond dysfunctional.
To start with, the premise is interesting, that's why I chose to read this. The plot centers around 2 sisters. The younger one takes off in her teen years and is not heard from for many years. After living a “hippie” lifestyle, she returns to her sister with a couple of children. But, it goes downhill from there. And, it gets quite disturbing.
It is the writing style that turned me off. There is no depth to it. Each chapter seems to be like an outline for the finished product to come later. Almost “point form”. And, each chapter seems to jump ahead a year or more. The characters seem to be shells, soulless.
I see that the book is endorsed by a few of my favourite authors. And, the majority of the reviews are favourable. But, this book is not for me. Not every book is for every reader.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
To start with, the premise is interesting, that's why I chose to read this. The plot centers around 2 sisters. The younger one takes off in her teen years and is not heard from for many years. After living a “hippie” lifestyle, she returns to her sister with a couple of children. But, it goes downhill from there. And, it gets quite disturbing.
It is the writing style that turned me off. There is no depth to it. Each chapter seems to be like an outline for the finished product to come later. Almost “point form”. And, each chapter seems to jump ahead a year or more. The characters seem to be shells, soulless.
I see that the book is endorsed by a few of my favourite authors. And, the majority of the reviews are favourable. But, this book is not for me. Not every book is for every reader.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
July 15, 2024
The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for an unbiased review.
This book was a bit of a wild ride. There were parts that I enjoyed about it and parts that I didn't.
First things first, the plot was well constructed and paced well, for the most part. It did get quite slow in the middle of the book all the way up until the last few chapters.
This book covers a few decades of time and I feel this book could have benefited from being split into 2 books, the first book focusing on Jayne and the second focusing on Linden.
I commend this author's attention to detail and the realistic portrayal of the decades in which she wrote about, both the setting and the societal attitudes.
There were quite a few strong, moving and quotable passages throughout the book about life as a woman, motherhood and societal expectations that are placed on women.
The strong drawback that I faced was the lack of trigger warning awareness about child abuse that readers were not pre-warned about that that a lot of readers may have difficulty reading.
This book really showcases how your behaviour, experiences and influence can shape your child in such a profound way. It is a good warning to any parent or guardian to be mindful about the attitudes that you have and how you go about raising your children. The portrayal of passed down generational trauma robbed Linden of much of her childhood, youth and experiences. Seeing Linden struggle in such a profound way all because of Jayne's past traumas and perceived outlook on her world is a welcome warning to anybody raising the next generation. Your words, actions and opinions have a lasting impact on those who come after you, so make them count.
Overall I gave this book a 4/5 star rating
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for an unbiased review.
This book was a bit of a wild ride. There were parts that I enjoyed about it and parts that I didn't.
First things first, the plot was well constructed and paced well, for the most part. It did get quite slow in the middle of the book all the way up until the last few chapters.
This book covers a few decades of time and I feel this book could have benefited from being split into 2 books, the first book focusing on Jayne and the second focusing on Linden.
I commend this author's attention to detail and the realistic portrayal of the decades in which she wrote about, both the setting and the societal attitudes.
There were quite a few strong, moving and quotable passages throughout the book about life as a woman, motherhood and societal expectations that are placed on women.
The strong drawback that I faced was the lack of trigger warning awareness about child abuse that readers were not pre-warned about that that a lot of readers may have difficulty reading.
This book really showcases how your behaviour, experiences and influence can shape your child in such a profound way. It is a good warning to any parent or guardian to be mindful about the attitudes that you have and how you go about raising your children. The portrayal of passed down generational trauma robbed Linden of much of her childhood, youth and experiences. Seeing Linden struggle in such a profound way all because of Jayne's past traumas and perceived outlook on her world is a welcome warning to anybody raising the next generation. Your words, actions and opinions have a lasting impact on those who come after you, so make them count.
Overall I gave this book a 4/5 star rating
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2025
holy funk and Wagnel
Too wordy big words l had to look up. Why not write simply in English. Talk about messed up. Not a good read won’t recommend it.
Too wordy big words l had to look up. Why not write simply in English. Talk about messed up. Not a good read won’t recommend it.
May 10, 2025
A moving and incredibly sad intergenerational family story set over the course of the 1940s to 2013 that follows two sisters and their children and the way dark family secrets and trauma affects them for years and years. Good on audio with really great narration by Helen Laser and recommended for fans of books like The paper palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
CW: sexual assault of a minor (off page), PTSD, drug and alcohol use/addiction
CW: sexual assault of a minor (off page), PTSD, drug and alcohol use/addiction
July 22, 2024
Whew, this was a sad and depressing novel. I definitely need a palette cleanser after reading it. So much trauma and drama. It left me feeling depressed and so down with very little payoff in the end.
This novel follows a couple of characters - Jayne in the beginning chapters of the book and ending with Lin (her daughter). Jayne has a blended family growing up and this plays a huge role in who she is and the decisions she makes. After she is married, her estranged comes around with her 3 kids and tells her she needs Jayne to take care of them for awhile. Jayne feels obligated and like she owes her sister this favor, so she says yes.
*I really liked this novel up until then, but then once things started falling apart, it was one traumatic thing after another*
I can't really say much more without giving away what happens once her sister "Bunny" arrives back to see her children, but there's ALOT of drama. And this affects Jayne biological daughter Lin in ways that are irreversible. It is quite sad and pathetic. I started hating Jayne once Bunny came back and I basically hated her all the way through until the epilogue.
What I will say is THIS NEEDS MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS. Had I known what issues this covers, I probably would have skipped past it. If you have any abuse history or are sensitive to abuse (sexual and within the family), then this will be a very difficult novel to read. I can't believe there isn't a trigger warning anywhere yet.
In conclusion, this book made me mad and depressed. It wasn't necessarily redeeming in any way, which is what I expect from books that cover this sensitive topic. Therefore, I can't recommend this based on that alone. I didn't feel better when I closed the last page. I just felt like I peeked inside a really sad family life. And I wish I hadn't.
This novel follows a couple of characters - Jayne in the beginning chapters of the book and ending with Lin (her daughter). Jayne has a blended family growing up and this plays a huge role in who she is and the decisions she makes. After she is married, her estranged comes around with her 3 kids and tells her she needs Jayne to take care of them for awhile. Jayne feels obligated and like she owes her sister this favor, so she says yes.
*I really liked this novel up until then, but then once things started falling apart, it was one traumatic thing after another*
I can't really say much more without giving away what happens once her sister "Bunny" arrives back to see her children, but there's ALOT of drama. And this affects Jayne biological daughter Lin in ways that are irreversible. It is quite sad and pathetic. I started hating Jayne once Bunny came back and I basically hated her all the way through until the epilogue.
What I will say is THIS NEEDS MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS. Had I known what issues this covers, I probably would have skipped past it. If you have any abuse history or are sensitive to abuse (sexual and within the family), then this will be a very difficult novel to read. I can't believe there isn't a trigger warning anywhere yet.
In conclusion, this book made me mad and depressed. It wasn't necessarily redeeming in any way, which is what I expect from books that cover this sensitive topic. Therefore, I can't recommend this based on that alone. I didn't feel better when I closed the last page. I just felt like I peeked inside a really sad family life. And I wish I hadn't.
April 5, 2025
This book was a mess. Too much t wandering through everyone’s thoughts. Plodding and boring. Not for me.
April 23, 2025
Weird writing style. Lots of ramblings that I had to skim through. Once again a book where no characters are likable. Depressing storyline.
May 4, 2025
The blurb captured my attention, and the beginning captured my heart. Initially, I really liked the writing style and the story. But quickly, it became too much. There are a lot of characters and a lot of omissions in the story. Many times I had to reread few pages to understand where the story is at the given moment. I'm sorry, but this book is chaotic and confusing.
April 15, 2025
Sometimes a novel comes along that reminds me of those I read in the '60's and '70's, verging on romanticism, family sagas replete with secrets and miscues, but which only could have been written in the world of today. Utilizing picturesque metaphors and making the most of lives lived in New York City, even the difference between the upper west and east sides, Nicola Kraus has used her experience to craft such a novel that holds the reader until the final page is turned.
September 4, 2024
Good.
A well written story of generational trauma, loneliness, and grief.
Worth a read. 👍
A well written story of generational trauma, loneliness, and grief.
Worth a read. 👍
July 13, 2025
I had such a hard time getting through this book. It might be a good read for someone else but I just couldn’t get hooked and excited to pick it up and keep reading. I found myself very confused throughout as well and had to reread paragraphs to figure out if I missed something
June 24, 2025
This was not at all what I was expecting from the (co)author of The Nannie Diaries. I was expecting a more commercial family story but what I got was a very sad and emotional story of a family’s generational trauma and its repercussions. I don’t entirely love the writing style; there were a lot of places where it seemed wordy and trying too hard. I read over many sentences trying to figure out what the heck the odd metaphors were trying to express. It’s very hard to like the characters but there was a certain point towards the end where I understood them. I can’t say very much without ruining the revelations near the end but somehow I had never picked up on the unspoken clues. There’s a lot that wasn’t said in the earlier portions of the story but knowing the end and considering how past generations handled trauma, it makes sense. Some weird writing aside, I ended up really liking this.
October 7, 2025
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I can’t say I really enjoyed it. It was extremely well written, in an oblique style. But it was also quite depressing.
April 21, 2025
TITLE: The Best We Could Hope For
AUTHOR: Nicola Kraus
PUB DATE: 05.01.2025
From a #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a powerful novel about family, the weight of secrets, the choices we make, and the repercussions of the decisions made for us.
THOUGHTS:
Sweeping Saga
Secrets
The Best We Could Hope For Is a compelling read about the complexities of family relationships tackling a very sensitive subject matter. The storytelling was exceptional and I was in a whirlwind of emotions reading this book, with characters that will be living in my head for a while.
I am excited to read more from Nicola Kraus!
AUTHOR: Nicola Kraus
PUB DATE: 05.01.2025
From a #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a powerful novel about family, the weight of secrets, the choices we make, and the repercussions of the decisions made for us.
THOUGHTS:
Sweeping Saga
Secrets
The Best We Could Hope For Is a compelling read about the complexities of family relationships tackling a very sensitive subject matter. The storytelling was exceptional and I was in a whirlwind of emotions reading this book, with characters that will be living in my head for a while.
I am excited to read more from Nicola Kraus!
September 9, 2024
This book sucked me in, deep, and as my poor neglected family members will tell you unprompted, I could not put it down.
The book tells a story, and yes, that’s what most books are supposed to do, but I refer to the writing style: a story is being told, which was a refreshing break from what seems to be the norm/ in fashion. It is…sweeping.
We follow Jayne as she grows up a girl of her time, a time where her (half) brothers can do what they want, but she and her sister Bunny can’t, a time where a woman was destitute if not married. She’s send to Radcliffe to study, leaving Bunny behind, and to catch a husband of course. She does, but not one of the rich ones. They are, however, madly in love, and Jayne knows how to make ends meet.
Stepping through the years we see her husband rise to fame, and riches coming in. One day Bunny is on the doorstep, with three kids from different fathers. We see her leave, and Jayne stepping up to raise those children, and her own.
A decade later, shortly after Bunny suddenly returns, the perspective changes to Jayne’s daughter Linden, later still shortened to “Lin” as a teenager, a young adult in the early 2000s, as an adult.
That part of the book is about the children, mostly Linden, trying to puzzle together what happened when they were young. What REALLY happened, and ideally also “why”.
You see I’m trying my best to NOT give away anything of the plot. It truly is a book to experience, a family saga about trauma -it’s dark, don’t be mistaken- and how we carry things with us, pass things on. Also, how very avant-la-lettre to have a merged / nuclear family!
I started with saying the book tells. It does, but by doing so it shows beautifully how differently children were raised now and then (and now again) how life of women has changed over time, and in what areas expectations are awfully the same still.
I absolutely loved this book, I was hooked early on and tried to slow down towards the end because I wasn’t ready yet to say goodbye to the family.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in return for my honest opinion. I’m counting down the days till publication.
PS: I have no idea what “the nanny diaries” are, so can’t compare, but from what I understand those are co-written and “the best we could hope for” is authored by one.
The book tells a story, and yes, that’s what most books are supposed to do, but I refer to the writing style: a story is being told, which was a refreshing break from what seems to be the norm/ in fashion. It is…sweeping.
We follow Jayne as she grows up a girl of her time, a time where her (half) brothers can do what they want, but she and her sister Bunny can’t, a time where a woman was destitute if not married. She’s send to Radcliffe to study, leaving Bunny behind, and to catch a husband of course. She does, but not one of the rich ones. They are, however, madly in love, and Jayne knows how to make ends meet.
Stepping through the years we see her husband rise to fame, and riches coming in. One day Bunny is on the doorstep, with three kids from different fathers. We see her leave, and Jayne stepping up to raise those children, and her own.
A decade later, shortly after Bunny suddenly returns, the perspective changes to Jayne’s daughter Linden, later still shortened to “Lin” as a teenager, a young adult in the early 2000s, as an adult.
That part of the book is about the children, mostly Linden, trying to puzzle together what happened when they were young. What REALLY happened, and ideally also “why”.
You see I’m trying my best to NOT give away anything of the plot. It truly is a book to experience, a family saga about trauma -it’s dark, don’t be mistaken- and how we carry things with us, pass things on. Also, how very avant-la-lettre to have a merged / nuclear family!
I started with saying the book tells. It does, but by doing so it shows beautifully how differently children were raised now and then (and now again) how life of women has changed over time, and in what areas expectations are awfully the same still.
I absolutely loved this book, I was hooked early on and tried to slow down towards the end because I wasn’t ready yet to say goodbye to the family.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in return for my honest opinion. I’m counting down the days till publication.
PS: I have no idea what “the nanny diaries” are, so can’t compare, but from what I understand those are co-written and “the best we could hope for” is authored by one.
August 20, 2024
The Best We Could Hope For tells the story of sisters Jayne and Bunny - Jayne is the one who does exactly what her parents want, attends Radcliffe, marries a Harvard man, while Bunny, the beauty of the two, leaves home at 16 and is disowned by her parents, travels the world like a free spirit/hippie, and has three kids without fathers in their lives. At the end of her rope after the birth of her youngest, Bunny visits Jayne with the kids and abandons them there. This is a story of family secrets, abuse, dysfunction - you name it. I found this a very depressing read - Just too much sadness in 300+ pages. Over the years I have learned that there is a little bit of dysfunction in most families - but these folks take the cake. I almost stopped reading half way through but like a car accident, I could not stop as I wanted to know what happened with Jayne's daughter Lin. No spoilers - but there's no happy ending - although I have no doubt that the Epilogue was an attempt to wrap everything up neatly and nicely although it didn't do it for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review
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