What do you think?
Rate this book
At Last
“An astounding achievement.” —Megha Majumdar * “Her best book yet.” —Paul Yoon
Set in midcentury America, At Last explores a rich family saga centered on two fierce and competitive matriarchs whose intertwined lives reflect the complexities of family, tradition, and personal ambition. “Whole lives course down the decades, and every minute is conveyed with Silver’s signature combination of toughness and grace,” (Laird Hunt).
Helene Simonauer and Evelyn Turner are two formidable women whose paths cross when their children marry. Both women are sharp, cunning, and unwavering in their conflicting beliefs about marriage, responsibility, and family and, most pressingly, their efforts to vie for the love of their shared granddaughter.
At Last paints a vivid portrait of the American Midwest, capturing the essence of a time and place where societal norms and personal aspirations often clashed. Marisa Silver’s narrative weaves together the lives of Helene and Evelyn, from their vastly different childhoods through the pivotal events that define them. Both intimate and expansive, and capturing the complexities of ambition and love with humor and insight, At Last is a testament to what happens when an unintended, even unwanted relationship turns out to be a central one that defines a life.
Set in midcentury America, At Last explores a rich family saga centered on two fierce and competitive matriarchs whose intertwined lives reflect the complexities of family, tradition, and personal ambition. “Whole lives course down the decades, and every minute is conveyed with Silver’s signature combination of toughness and grace,” (Laird Hunt).
Helene Simonauer and Evelyn Turner are two formidable women whose paths cross when their children marry. Both women are sharp, cunning, and unwavering in their conflicting beliefs about marriage, responsibility, and family and, most pressingly, their efforts to vie for the love of their shared granddaughter.
At Last paints a vivid portrait of the American Midwest, capturing the essence of a time and place where societal norms and personal aspirations often clashed. Marisa Silver’s narrative weaves together the lives of Helene and Evelyn, from their vastly different childhoods through the pivotal events that define them. Both intimate and expansive, and capturing the complexities of ambition and love with humor and insight, At Last is a testament to what happens when an unintended, even unwanted relationship turns out to be a central one that defines a life.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2025
83 people are currently reading
11856 people want to read
About the author
Marisa Silver
20 books255 followersMarisa Silver is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel,
Mary Coin
(published by Blue Rider Press, March 7th, 2013).
Marisa Silver directed her first film, Old Enough, while she studied at Harvard University. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1984, when Silver was 23. Silver went on to direct three more feature films, Permanent Record (1988), with Keanu Reeves, Vital Signs (1990) and He Said, She Said (1991), with Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Perkins. The latter was co-directed with her husband-to-be, Ken Kwapis.
After making her career in Hollywood, she switched her profession and entered graduate school to become a short story writer. Her first short story appeared in The New Yorker magazine in 2000 and subsequently several more stories have been published there.
Silver also published the short-story collection, Babe in Paradise, in 2001. That collection was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and was a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. A story from the collection was included in The Best American Short Stories 2000. In 2005, she published No Direction Home and in 2008, The God of War was published to great acclaim.
Marisa Silver directed her first film, Old Enough, while she studied at Harvard University. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1984, when Silver was 23. Silver went on to direct three more feature films, Permanent Record (1988), with Keanu Reeves, Vital Signs (1990) and He Said, She Said (1991), with Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Perkins. The latter was co-directed with her husband-to-be, Ken Kwapis.
After making her career in Hollywood, she switched her profession and entered graduate school to become a short story writer. Her first short story appeared in The New Yorker magazine in 2000 and subsequently several more stories have been published there.
Silver also published the short-story collection, Babe in Paradise, in 2001. That collection was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and was a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. A story from the collection was included in The Best American Short Stories 2000. In 2005, she published No Direction Home and in 2008, The God of War was published to great acclaim.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
August 30, 2025
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog
This is my first book by the author, and it was just okay. It's a family saga about two matriarchs named Helene and Evelyn. They are forced to become family when their children marry. They have vastly different backgrounds and beliefs, so it isn't an easy transition. When they become grandparents, instead of sharing in the joy, they become rivals and very competitive.
This story was very slow going; it's fairly short yet seemed to go on and on. I know what the author was trying to do here with themes of family and the ways that the past can shape the present, but it was a bit too wordy for my liking. The writing isn't bad, it just wasn't to my taste. I liked the mid-century timeline, but the narrative just seemed to ramble and lacked momentum. This is supposed to be a messy family drama, but it dragged. I didn't understand the actions of these women; I wanted to get inside their heads more. I wanted to feel the tension between them, but it was a little too subtle for me. I did get that women of that time had more constraints than I ever did.
I think the biggest problem for me was the repetitiveness. After so much time, shouldn't they just get over themselves? They're more concerned with their animosity towards each other than with their children and grandchild. It would have been nice to see them evolve over time, and the lack of growth left me feeling frustrated. Instead of a cohesive story, I felt like I was reading little snippets of a life, and sometimes it was as though a snippet or two was being played over and over again. Overall, this one just didn't win me over, and that is such a shame, as a story about the lives of three generations of a family with lots of angst should have been a hit.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
This is my first book by the author, and it was just okay. It's a family saga about two matriarchs named Helene and Evelyn. They are forced to become family when their children marry. They have vastly different backgrounds and beliefs, so it isn't an easy transition. When they become grandparents, instead of sharing in the joy, they become rivals and very competitive.
This story was very slow going; it's fairly short yet seemed to go on and on. I know what the author was trying to do here with themes of family and the ways that the past can shape the present, but it was a bit too wordy for my liking. The writing isn't bad, it just wasn't to my taste. I liked the mid-century timeline, but the narrative just seemed to ramble and lacked momentum. This is supposed to be a messy family drama, but it dragged. I didn't understand the actions of these women; I wanted to get inside their heads more. I wanted to feel the tension between them, but it was a little too subtle for me. I did get that women of that time had more constraints than I ever did.
I think the biggest problem for me was the repetitiveness. After so much time, shouldn't they just get over themselves? They're more concerned with their animosity towards each other than with their children and grandchild. It would have been nice to see them evolve over time, and the lack of growth left me feeling frustrated. Instead of a cohesive story, I felt like I was reading little snippets of a life, and sometimes it was as though a snippet or two was being played over and over again. Overall, this one just didn't win me over, and that is such a shame, as a story about the lives of three generations of a family with lots of angst should have been a hit.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 16, 2025
AT LAST
By Marisa Silver
A heartfelt story about family, change, and connection
In At Last, we meet two widows—Helene (Tom’s mom) and Evelyn (Ruth’s mom)—in 1971, Omaha, Nebraska, brought together by the marriage of their children. These two women couldn’t be more different: Helene is proper, reserved, and affluent, while Evelyn is sharp, no-nonsense and from a more modest upbringing. As wedding preparations unfold, their contrasting personalities inevitably clash.
As time moves forward both women must learn how to navigate not only their new roles as co-grandmothers but also lives without their spouses. The story moves back in time to explore their vastly different childhoods and the complexities of their marriages and family lives. Over the decades, we see both women—and their children and granddaughter—evolve and grow in unexpected ways.
I especially enjoyed the backstories of both grandmothers and appreciated how each chapter centers on a specific moment or event of a character’s life. This is an emotionally layered story about family, memory, and how the past continues to shape us. The relationships are messy and real—just like life.
This is a first read for me by this author and I will definitely check out other books by her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC
By Marisa Silver
A heartfelt story about family, change, and connection
In At Last, we meet two widows—Helene (Tom’s mom) and Evelyn (Ruth’s mom)—in 1971, Omaha, Nebraska, brought together by the marriage of their children. These two women couldn’t be more different: Helene is proper, reserved, and affluent, while Evelyn is sharp, no-nonsense and from a more modest upbringing. As wedding preparations unfold, their contrasting personalities inevitably clash.
As time moves forward both women must learn how to navigate not only their new roles as co-grandmothers but also lives without their spouses. The story moves back in time to explore their vastly different childhoods and the complexities of their marriages and family lives. Over the decades, we see both women—and their children and granddaughter—evolve and grow in unexpected ways.
I especially enjoyed the backstories of both grandmothers and appreciated how each chapter centers on a specific moment or event of a character’s life. This is an emotionally layered story about family, memory, and how the past continues to shape us. The relationships are messy and real—just like life.
This is a first read for me by this author and I will definitely check out other books by her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC
August 1, 2025
3⭐️ This multigenerational tale of three generations of women was interesting and well written.
The first chapters about the early lives of Evelyn and Helene were very good. Evelyn and Helene are connected when their children Ruth and Tom get married. There is an ongoing rivalry between the two after the birth of their granddaughter Francie. The stories of the two grandmothers were engaging and at times humorous.
There was a story I wish would have been expanded on when Ruth translated some letters in German written to Helene’s husband. When Helene’s husband died she hired Ruth to translate but it was never addressed any further. It appeared maybe her doctor husband may have had another life before he immigrated. I kept waiting for the answers, but they never came.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest review
The first chapters about the early lives of Evelyn and Helene were very good. Evelyn and Helene are connected when their children Ruth and Tom get married. There is an ongoing rivalry between the two after the birth of their granddaughter Francie. The stories of the two grandmothers were engaging and at times humorous.
There was a story I wish would have been expanded on when Ruth translated some letters in German written to Helene’s husband. When Helene’s husband died she hired Ruth to translate but it was never addressed any further. It appeared maybe her doctor husband may have had another life before he immigrated. I kept waiting for the answers, but they never came.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest review
October 17, 2025
At Last is the story of Helene and Evelyn, two very different women whose lives are intertwined when their children, Tom and Ruth, marry each other in 1971. The story begins just days before Tom and Ruth’s wedding in Nebraska, and follows the family as they move forward in time, from Cleveland to NYC, and beyond. There are also chapters set in the past, providing background on Helene and Evelyn, and how their experiences shaped them into the women they are now.
At Last takes place over several decades and follows three generations of family. I enjoyed the story overall, though I enjoyed the early days of Helene and Evelyn’s intertwined lives most. I didn’t find the two women very likable, but appreciated that they felt like authentic characters, especially for the time and place — 3.5 stars
At Last takes place over several decades and follows three generations of family. I enjoyed the story overall, though I enjoyed the early days of Helene and Evelyn’s intertwined lives most. I didn’t find the two women very likable, but appreciated that they felt like authentic characters, especially for the time and place — 3.5 stars
March 18, 2025
At Last
This book about three generations of women started out interesting. Evelyn and Helene are connected through the marriage of their children Ruth and Tom. I found the chapters in different time frames confusing, especially when it was years apart. I felt I had to guess what happened in the intervening years. Some important story lines, such as the letters translated by Ruth from German, were totally abandoned. I kept reading to find out what happens, but to my disappointment, actually not much was revealed. The granddaughter Francine was tossed between her grandmothers and her divorced parents and probably as a result had many coming of age issues. Overall, I am surprised of the four and five star reviews, I couldn’t give this book more than three stars.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.
This book about three generations of women started out interesting. Evelyn and Helene are connected through the marriage of their children Ruth and Tom. I found the chapters in different time frames confusing, especially when it was years apart. I felt I had to guess what happened in the intervening years. Some important story lines, such as the letters translated by Ruth from German, were totally abandoned. I kept reading to find out what happens, but to my disappointment, actually not much was revealed. The granddaughter Francine was tossed between her grandmothers and her divorced parents and probably as a result had many coming of age issues. Overall, I am surprised of the four and five star reviews, I couldn’t give this book more than three stars.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.
June 24, 2025
✨Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a digital ARC of At Last!✨
This is a character-driven story covering the span of two women’s lives and the dynamic of their families. I particularly enjoyed the second half of this book, and felt that it got better as the novel progressed. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy slice-of-life stories.
This is a character-driven story covering the span of two women’s lives and the dynamic of their families. I particularly enjoyed the second half of this book, and felt that it got better as the novel progressed. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy slice-of-life stories.
March 20, 2025
3 stars
I expected more drama between the two grandmothers. Instead, this was just a sad, depressing book of loss and unhappiness and being stuck in certain roles with little room for individuality. Maybe that was the point? To remind us that the “good ol’ days” weren’t actually all that good?
Also, as another reviewer pointed out, the situation regarding the translation of the letters was just forgotten. What could have been an interesting plot twist was ignored.
I appreciate being invited to read. Thank you to NetGalley. and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read a digital arc in return for an honest review.
I expected more drama between the two grandmothers. Instead, this was just a sad, depressing book of loss and unhappiness and being stuck in certain roles with little room for individuality. Maybe that was the point? To remind us that the “good ol’ days” weren’t actually all that good?
Also, as another reviewer pointed out, the situation regarding the translation of the letters was just forgotten. What could have been an interesting plot twist was ignored.
I appreciate being invited to read. Thank you to NetGalley. and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read a digital arc in return for an honest review.
September 26, 2025
At Last by Marisa Silver is a study, mostly of two women who are trying to function in a new world, something that happens in various degrees to all of us as we age. Helen Simonauer and Evelyn Turner meet when their children decide to marry. Two more different women one could never hope to meet. Neither of them was happy with their offspring’s choice of a mate. But, marry they did, and procreate. Helen was staid and conservative. Evie was anything but. It showed in the way they were with their granddaughter, who was also navigating a new world.
This women age, not particularly gracefully, and the readers follows them until their deaths. Evie was younger than Helen so she lasted longer. Many of us remember the last mid-century as the perfect life, but his story shows us the error of our ways. Things don’t really change that much and the things these women suffered is not much different in many ways than what they might suffer today. One message came through loud and clear: remain flexible. It was an entertaining and sad story of two families that come together as one.
I was invited to read At Last by Simon & Schuster. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Simon&Schuster #MarisaSilver #At Last
This women age, not particularly gracefully, and the readers follows them until their deaths. Evie was younger than Helen so she lasted longer. Many of us remember the last mid-century as the perfect life, but his story shows us the error of our ways. Things don’t really change that much and the things these women suffered is not much different in many ways than what they might suffer today. One message came through loud and clear: remain flexible. It was an entertaining and sad story of two families that come together as one.
I was invited to read At Last by Simon & Schuster. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Simon&Schuster #MarisaSilver #At Last
November 5, 2025
This book was well-written and not bad, I think I just didn’t find the subject matter that compelling. While the two matriarchs are different from one another, they are living in the same era and affected by the same patriarchal systems that limited their mobility in life. I think if the two characters had more contrasting identities I may have found this book more intriguing, but it just didn’t grip me the way I hoped. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the author’s writing style (just not the characters in this one as much) so I will be on the lookout for future titles from her.
Thank you to Gallery Books for the gifted finished copy!
Thank you to Gallery Books for the gifted finished copy!
October 1, 2025
Evelyn and Helene meet when their children marry. There is not great affection on either women's part and that doesn't change for the length of their relationship, particularly after they begin to compete for the preference of their shared granddaughter. When their children first move to New York City, then ultimately divorce, the women see less of each other, until Helene's increasing illness compels Evelyn to visit her.
This novel is strangely compelling as the reader cannot help but feel sorry for all the women as they go through their lives in mid-century, midwestern America. It is a slice of life, showing people doing their best, but inevitably screwing up in big and little ways. #AtLast #NetGalley
This novel is strangely compelling as the reader cannot help but feel sorry for all the women as they go through their lives in mid-century, midwestern America. It is a slice of life, showing people doing their best, but inevitably screwing up in big and little ways. #AtLast #NetGalley
August 13, 2025
This was a beautifully written, character driven novel that followed three generations of women through life, love, and heartbreak. For me this was a thought provoking read. I’m still thinking about the characters and the insightful self reflections that following their journey brung. Silver has a way of writing about the complexities of the human condition that was compelling.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC
September 17, 2025
Started out strong, 2 widowed matriarchs who need to coexist with one another after their kids get married, each one needing to be the best loved grandma after the kids have a child. I enjoyed the snark, the back stories of each woman and how they lost their spouses and the impacts to their lives after becoming widowed but as another reader mentioned it became repetitive and I started losing interest.
October 28, 2025
I love character-driven less plot lit fic.
Impressive to also be interested in both perspectives, although I admit that I favoured Helene’s somewhat. Perhaps because her stubbornness felt more familiar
Impressive to also be interested in both perspectives, although I admit that I favoured Helene’s somewhat. Perhaps because her stubbornness felt more familiar
September 15, 2025
At Last is novel that follows the lives of two very different women, Helen Simonauer and Evelyn Turner. Their lives become linked when their children marry and turns competitive when they have a grandchild, Francine. Silver tells this through shifting points of view to reveal the contrasts and connections that shape each life.
Helen is dignified and restrained. Evelyn is outspoken and rebellious. Francine struggles with anxiety, which is exacerbated after her parent’s divorce. Both grandparents want to help her find stability. Each hopes they are the special grandmother, but more importantly, each loves her and desperately yearns to see her succeed.
Silver writes with clarity and restraint, drawing power from small details. Her story is understated but deeply felt, giving the story both honesty and weight. In the end Helen’s Alzheimer’s brings Ellen closer to her. Her rivalry softens to compassion. It is a spare, poignant novel about resilience, rivalry and unexpected connection.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers Simon and Schuster for an advance copy of this sensitive novel. These opinions are my own.
September 30, 2025
The beginning of this book as Evelyn & Helene are driving to the flower shop to order flowers for the wedding of their children is so good. These women have opposite belief systems and they’re about to be fellow mother-in-laws. Their dynamic is captivating. Helene is totally uptight compared to Evelyn. It drew me in completely.
When the women become grandmothers to their shared granddaughter Francie the competition between them amps up. Both want to be the favorite grandmother. This book is an examination of two fierce, sharp women navigating the expectations of their time & the limitations society places on them. Their characters evolve with each passing decade. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 overall.
When the women become grandmothers to their shared granddaughter Francie the competition between them amps up. Both want to be the favorite grandmother. This book is an examination of two fierce, sharp women navigating the expectations of their time & the limitations society places on them. Their characters evolve with each passing decade. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 overall.
June 23, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I absolutely loved both of the women in this book! Their personalities, their actions, everything. Even though it takes place before today, it’s still a very relatable plot. I loved how the timeline jumped to give us a look at what made these two women who they are today. Definitely a good escape in the form of a book.
April 29, 2025
I found this book quite hard to follow. For some reason, the characters didn’t stick in my head and I had a lot of trouble remembering who was who. By the end, I did enjoy the connections that were developed within the family, but overall and throughout the whole book I was confused by the flow of time throughout the chapters, and just felt unmoored and confused much of the time.
March 31, 2025
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review:
I struggled to stay focused and follow the plot of this book. I constantly felt a mix of boredom and confusion while reading it. Ultimately, I had to set it aside and walk away from it.
I struggled to stay focused and follow the plot of this book. I constantly felt a mix of boredom and confusion while reading it. Ultimately, I had to set it aside and walk away from it.
December 16, 2025
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩, 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣: 𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.
This novel is fantastic, I meant to review it in September but this year has been eating my time. Being set in midcentury America, it took me back to how women defined themselves, how they measured each other based off their own ingrained morality and individual upbringing. Helene Simonauer (Tom’s mother) and Evelyn Turner (Ruth’s mother) become tied together (though they don’t know it yet) when their children get married. The first line of the novel, “Helene supposed Ruth had been some sort of hippie,” had me cracking a smile. I grew up surrounded by family whose generations challenged each other and there is no doubt in my mind we are chiseled by the times, as much as by the people who influence us, whether we rebel or fall in line. The hippie culture and what their parents thought of this ‘radical bunch’ immediately tells me where Helene’s feelings are and yet neither Ruth nor Helene are caricatures, which is all in the author’s skill. The wedding itself is far too unconventional for Tom’s mother, and she can’t even vent to Evelyn. They have just met and already cannot seem to find common ground. Where Helene is responsible, controlled, Evelyn is sure the ‘solid woman’ takes on airs, is self-important and a gossip. Evelyn is on guard, wise enough not to give Helene any currency to wag her tongue over later. Helene sees enough to understand the carefree Evelyn; she does not even wear pantyhose!
The one thing the women have in common, aside from their children marrying each other, is that they are both widows. Evelyn does not believe the “sisterhood of widows,” serves as a natural bond between them. Keeping up appearances for appearances’ sake is not her game either, but Helene relies on the social charade of it all. Helene’s son Tom is well-heeled; she is proud that her son has turned out strong and sensible, despite his choosing Ruth. Evelyn knows her girl is self-sufficient, very much her own person. Her opinion of their marriage is, “it will work out or it won’t,” either way stuffy Helene would not be in her life after the wedding. Oh, but she is.
Turning the pages, we discover Evelyn grew up in both the city and on a failing farm, torn between her father’s stubborn refusal to give up on it, and her mother’s escape when she turns her back on farm life to work in the city. Evelyn uses her wit to make money, but knows girls, despite their dedication, don’t get the education nor choices boys do. Helene comes of age failing to measure up to her two stelar siblings, her beautiful sister and exciting, rascal brother. Unbearable loss changes her family’s life. Just when she thought she would be an old maid, Helene meets a doctor ten years her senior, her last chance. The readers begin to understand that the events in the lives of both women have forged their characters and that of their children, Tom and Ruth.
I imagine I would read this story differently if I were younger, but I have two adult children, I have just turned fifty, I am watching my parents age and I can relate. It is funny how we imagine life will be or should be when we are young and starting out. How naïve the earlier versions of ourselves seem to the world-weary people we become. These two women are not enemies, though they are each jealous of the other for their own reasons. Their criticisms are echoes of their own life experiences, are truly self-recrimination. When Ruth and Tom have a child (Francie), she is a restless, troubled little girl who needs both her grandmothers terribly. She may be the one thing they have in common that will challenge them both and bring them together. I loved this novel. It confronts the helplessness we sometimes feel towards our children and their choices, the immovable reality of extended family, how we end up trying to prove ourselves against one another, and how tenderness arises in surprising moments. It seems like a quiet story, but it was not for me. It reminded me of ‘simpler times,’ which is a laugh, because for women there was no such thing. It is a sharp eye on family, aging and how time alters our world.
Yes, read it.
Published September 2, 2025
Simon & Schuster
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩, 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣: 𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.
This novel is fantastic, I meant to review it in September but this year has been eating my time. Being set in midcentury America, it took me back to how women defined themselves, how they measured each other based off their own ingrained morality and individual upbringing. Helene Simonauer (Tom’s mother) and Evelyn Turner (Ruth’s mother) become tied together (though they don’t know it yet) when their children get married. The first line of the novel, “Helene supposed Ruth had been some sort of hippie,” had me cracking a smile. I grew up surrounded by family whose generations challenged each other and there is no doubt in my mind we are chiseled by the times, as much as by the people who influence us, whether we rebel or fall in line. The hippie culture and what their parents thought of this ‘radical bunch’ immediately tells me where Helene’s feelings are and yet neither Ruth nor Helene are caricatures, which is all in the author’s skill. The wedding itself is far too unconventional for Tom’s mother, and she can’t even vent to Evelyn. They have just met and already cannot seem to find common ground. Where Helene is responsible, controlled, Evelyn is sure the ‘solid woman’ takes on airs, is self-important and a gossip. Evelyn is on guard, wise enough not to give Helene any currency to wag her tongue over later. Helene sees enough to understand the carefree Evelyn; she does not even wear pantyhose!
The one thing the women have in common, aside from their children marrying each other, is that they are both widows. Evelyn does not believe the “sisterhood of widows,” serves as a natural bond between them. Keeping up appearances for appearances’ sake is not her game either, but Helene relies on the social charade of it all. Helene’s son Tom is well-heeled; she is proud that her son has turned out strong and sensible, despite his choosing Ruth. Evelyn knows her girl is self-sufficient, very much her own person. Her opinion of their marriage is, “it will work out or it won’t,” either way stuffy Helene would not be in her life after the wedding. Oh, but she is.
Turning the pages, we discover Evelyn grew up in both the city and on a failing farm, torn between her father’s stubborn refusal to give up on it, and her mother’s escape when she turns her back on farm life to work in the city. Evelyn uses her wit to make money, but knows girls, despite their dedication, don’t get the education nor choices boys do. Helene comes of age failing to measure up to her two stelar siblings, her beautiful sister and exciting, rascal brother. Unbearable loss changes her family’s life. Just when she thought she would be an old maid, Helene meets a doctor ten years her senior, her last chance. The readers begin to understand that the events in the lives of both women have forged their characters and that of their children, Tom and Ruth.
I imagine I would read this story differently if I were younger, but I have two adult children, I have just turned fifty, I am watching my parents age and I can relate. It is funny how we imagine life will be or should be when we are young and starting out. How naïve the earlier versions of ourselves seem to the world-weary people we become. These two women are not enemies, though they are each jealous of the other for their own reasons. Their criticisms are echoes of their own life experiences, are truly self-recrimination. When Ruth and Tom have a child (Francie), she is a restless, troubled little girl who needs both her grandmothers terribly. She may be the one thing they have in common that will challenge them both and bring them together. I loved this novel. It confronts the helplessness we sometimes feel towards our children and their choices, the immovable reality of extended family, how we end up trying to prove ourselves against one another, and how tenderness arises in surprising moments. It seems like a quiet story, but it was not for me. It reminded me of ‘simpler times,’ which is a laugh, because for women there was no such thing. It is a sharp eye on family, aging and how time alters our world.
Yes, read it.
Published September 2, 2025
Simon & Schuster
September 2, 2025
Silver has created luminous portraits of two women who are drawn together by serendipity — their children marry and, when those children divorce, they remain tethered by a granddaughter. The novel opens in Omaha in 1971 with the impending nuptials of Ruth and Tom. The action centers on the couples’ respective widowed mothers, Evelyn Turner and Helene Simonauer. Rigid Helene assumes that Ruth had been “some sort of hippie” since she was holding the wedding in a public park in the middle of winter (okay March) officiated by a judge, rather than a rabbi. Helene is miffed that the couple were not having a rehearsal dinner that she could host, and that she was relegated to selecting a few bunches of flowers.
Silver then goes back in time to Helene and Evelyn’s vastly different childhoods. Helene, who was raised in comfort in West Virginia, the daughter of the owner of a cotton mill, had two siblings who both died prematurely. Helene had assumed that she would take care of her aging parents, but she had an unexpected suitor, Emil Simonauer, a physician who was the head of internal medicine at a poor metropolitan hospital. Helene “invented an unassailable man,” even telling Evelyn that Emil had died in a car accident rather than admitting that he was crushed to death by a tree that fell on his car that was parked in his own driveway on her fifty-sixth birthday. Evelyn, by contrast, was raised on a small truck farm in Omaha until her independent mother turned her back on the failing farm and her failure of a husband and moved to the city with her daughters where she worked as a tailor. Evelyn pretended to have a job as an assistant to a fictitious elderly widow as a solution to her mother’s control and her own restlessness. She married Frank, the couple had three daughters, and Frank died of heart disease when Evelyn was only forty years old.
Silver gives the reader insight into her characters through a series of twelve vignettes that span from 1937 through 2013. One standout is the chapter set in 1971 where Helene, the “unreliable caretaker,” stymied by how to entertain her granddaughter, Francie, takes the young girl ice skating although Helene would not enter the rink. The novel is peppered with humor, particularly surrounding the grandmothers’ vying for Francie’s affection, which Francie is aware of pretending that each of her grandmothers has sent the better birthday gift or the larger Hanukkah check. But it is also filled with pathos, particularly as Helene and Tom must cope with her dementia. Tom laments that he and his mother are both lost, “she in her mind, he in his life.” But he also relishes when the brashly opinionated Helene surfaces, like when Helene notices Francie’s tattoo of her girlfriend’s name on her wrist and inquires, “Is she Jewish?” “And there she is, [Tom] thinks, his throat rising. Oh, how he adores her!” Thank you Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for an advance copy of this beautiful family saga that will resonant for some many women.
Silver then goes back in time to Helene and Evelyn’s vastly different childhoods. Helene, who was raised in comfort in West Virginia, the daughter of the owner of a cotton mill, had two siblings who both died prematurely. Helene had assumed that she would take care of her aging parents, but she had an unexpected suitor, Emil Simonauer, a physician who was the head of internal medicine at a poor metropolitan hospital. Helene “invented an unassailable man,” even telling Evelyn that Emil had died in a car accident rather than admitting that he was crushed to death by a tree that fell on his car that was parked in his own driveway on her fifty-sixth birthday. Evelyn, by contrast, was raised on a small truck farm in Omaha until her independent mother turned her back on the failing farm and her failure of a husband and moved to the city with her daughters where she worked as a tailor. Evelyn pretended to have a job as an assistant to a fictitious elderly widow as a solution to her mother’s control and her own restlessness. She married Frank, the couple had three daughters, and Frank died of heart disease when Evelyn was only forty years old.
Silver gives the reader insight into her characters through a series of twelve vignettes that span from 1937 through 2013. One standout is the chapter set in 1971 where Helene, the “unreliable caretaker,” stymied by how to entertain her granddaughter, Francie, takes the young girl ice skating although Helene would not enter the rink. The novel is peppered with humor, particularly surrounding the grandmothers’ vying for Francie’s affection, which Francie is aware of pretending that each of her grandmothers has sent the better birthday gift or the larger Hanukkah check. But it is also filled with pathos, particularly as Helene and Tom must cope with her dementia. Tom laments that he and his mother are both lost, “she in her mind, he in his life.” But he also relishes when the brashly opinionated Helene surfaces, like when Helene notices Francie’s tattoo of her girlfriend’s name on her wrist and inquires, “Is she Jewish?” “And there she is, [Tom] thinks, his throat rising. Oh, how he adores her!” Thank you Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for an advance copy of this beautiful family saga that will resonant for some many women.
September 14, 2025
I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher. All thoughts are my own.
Family drama is my catnip, and nothing pulls me in faster than a story with two sharp-tongued matriarchs circling each other like boxers in a ring. On paper, this book had everything I look for: two strong, slightly catty women with clashing values, a midcentury Midwest setting, and the promise of complicated family ties.
The novel opens with Helene Simonauer and Evelyn Turner, forced together to prep for the wedding of their children. Both are proud, stubborn, and ambitious in their own ways. They each want the best for their families, but “the best” looks wildly different depending on whose eyes you’re looking through. Their relationship is prickly, competitive, and oddly intimate. Their individual stories are fascinating, but sadly, I felt like a lot of it was glossed over.
On the plus side, Silver has a knack for creating atmosphere. I felt firmly planted in the Midwest of the mid-20th century. The dialogue rings true, especially when it reveals just how much they’re not saying out loud. That’s where the book shines.
But here’s where my frustration kicked in. For a novel under 300 pages, it felt like the author kept introducing juicy threads and then leaving them to dangle. Helene and Evelyn have rich backstories that deserved more exploration. Hints are dropped and stories are promised with side characters, but before the book really digs in, the narrative pulls back. It’s like watching someone set the table for a huge dinner and then only letting your guests snack on appetizers before sending them home.
Much of the novel alternates between Helene and Evelyn, and then, in the final stretch, shifts to the perspective of their granddaughter. This could have been a fascinating turn, seeing how the next generation interprets the shadow cast by these women, but instead it felt like a shortcut. Rather than pulling me deeper into the story, it left me feeling like I was being handed a summary of events that could have filled another hundred pages.
It’s not that the book is badly written. Far from it. The characters are well-drawn and distinct, but the story feels underfed. I wanted more time with them. By the end, I closed the book feeling like I had read the skeleton of something that could have been fully fleshed out into a layered, generational saga. There’s so much potential here for a truly great family novel. Instead, I was left with flashes of brilliance and the nagging sense of what could have been.
If you enjoy taut, compact stories that hint at more beneath the surface, this might work well for you. It’s a sharp, quick read with moments of elegance. But if you crave sprawling, messy family sagas where every thread gets tugged until it unravels, this one may feel too restrained. It's worth a read if you’re in the mood for something short, sharp, and stylish, but don’t expect a whole lot of juicy meat. For me, it was a great concept, strong characters, and lovely writing, but not enough meat on the bones to make it fully satisfying. I was left wanting a lot more.
Family drama is my catnip, and nothing pulls me in faster than a story with two sharp-tongued matriarchs circling each other like boxers in a ring. On paper, this book had everything I look for: two strong, slightly catty women with clashing values, a midcentury Midwest setting, and the promise of complicated family ties.
The novel opens with Helene Simonauer and Evelyn Turner, forced together to prep for the wedding of their children. Both are proud, stubborn, and ambitious in their own ways. They each want the best for their families, but “the best” looks wildly different depending on whose eyes you’re looking through. Their relationship is prickly, competitive, and oddly intimate. Their individual stories are fascinating, but sadly, I felt like a lot of it was glossed over.
On the plus side, Silver has a knack for creating atmosphere. I felt firmly planted in the Midwest of the mid-20th century. The dialogue rings true, especially when it reveals just how much they’re not saying out loud. That’s where the book shines.
But here’s where my frustration kicked in. For a novel under 300 pages, it felt like the author kept introducing juicy threads and then leaving them to dangle. Helene and Evelyn have rich backstories that deserved more exploration. Hints are dropped and stories are promised with side characters, but before the book really digs in, the narrative pulls back. It’s like watching someone set the table for a huge dinner and then only letting your guests snack on appetizers before sending them home.
Much of the novel alternates between Helene and Evelyn, and then, in the final stretch, shifts to the perspective of their granddaughter. This could have been a fascinating turn, seeing how the next generation interprets the shadow cast by these women, but instead it felt like a shortcut. Rather than pulling me deeper into the story, it left me feeling like I was being handed a summary of events that could have filled another hundred pages.
It’s not that the book is badly written. Far from it. The characters are well-drawn and distinct, but the story feels underfed. I wanted more time with them. By the end, I closed the book feeling like I had read the skeleton of something that could have been fully fleshed out into a layered, generational saga. There’s so much potential here for a truly great family novel. Instead, I was left with flashes of brilliance and the nagging sense of what could have been.
If you enjoy taut, compact stories that hint at more beneath the surface, this might work well for you. It’s a sharp, quick read with moments of elegance. But if you crave sprawling, messy family sagas where every thread gets tugged until it unravels, this one may feel too restrained. It's worth a read if you’re in the mood for something short, sharp, and stylish, but don’t expect a whole lot of juicy meat. For me, it was a great concept, strong characters, and lovely writing, but not enough meat on the bones to make it fully satisfying. I was left wanting a lot more.
September 5, 2025
Love is not something you can measure
Tom and Ruth met, fell in love and are going to be married. It is 1971 in Omaha, Nebraska, where the wedding brings together their families, in particular their mothers Helene and Evelyn. The women couldn't be more different...Helene, very proper and living her life according to society's rules, and Evelyn, free-spirited and laissez-faire...so it is perhaps inevitable that the two will butt heads over their views on most topics, particularly on marriage and family. Over the ensuing decades the world changes and with those changes Helene and Evelyn too must evolve, as they deal with love and loss and work to find purpose and meaning in their lives.
At Last is a novel that focuses on families and traditions, and on ambitions desired but not always realized. Helene and Evelyn are both formidable women in their own way, formed by their different childhoods, marriages and widowhood, and spend much of their lives vying to form the tightest bond with Francie, the granddaughter they share. They didn't ask for a relationship to develop with one another, if asked would probably not have wanted one if not for their children's marriage...yet it is a bond that will occupy a large portion of their lives. They are women of their time, a period when women were just starting to break out of the mold of dutiful wife and mother and instead considering what they wanted out of life. Author Marisa Silver deftly portrays the two women and the family dynamics that exist and evolve over the years. The story is not told in a linear fashion, which can be a challenge for the reader, and the lack of contentment felt by many of the characters permeates the book. The prose is beautifully written and it portrays the intricate nature of family and the wider societal shift being experienced by the characters. Readers of Cathleen Schine, Anne Tyler and Ann Napolitano should consider giving At Last a read. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.
Tom and Ruth met, fell in love and are going to be married. It is 1971 in Omaha, Nebraska, where the wedding brings together their families, in particular their mothers Helene and Evelyn. The women couldn't be more different...Helene, very proper and living her life according to society's rules, and Evelyn, free-spirited and laissez-faire...so it is perhaps inevitable that the two will butt heads over their views on most topics, particularly on marriage and family. Over the ensuing decades the world changes and with those changes Helene and Evelyn too must evolve, as they deal with love and loss and work to find purpose and meaning in their lives.
At Last is a novel that focuses on families and traditions, and on ambitions desired but not always realized. Helene and Evelyn are both formidable women in their own way, formed by their different childhoods, marriages and widowhood, and spend much of their lives vying to form the tightest bond with Francie, the granddaughter they share. They didn't ask for a relationship to develop with one another, if asked would probably not have wanted one if not for their children's marriage...yet it is a bond that will occupy a large portion of their lives. They are women of their time, a period when women were just starting to break out of the mold of dutiful wife and mother and instead considering what they wanted out of life. Author Marisa Silver deftly portrays the two women and the family dynamics that exist and evolve over the years. The story is not told in a linear fashion, which can be a challenge for the reader, and the lack of contentment felt by many of the characters permeates the book. The prose is beautifully written and it portrays the intricate nature of family and the wider societal shift being experienced by the characters. Readers of Cathleen Schine, Anne Tyler and Ann Napolitano should consider giving At Last a read. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.
September 1, 2025
When Helene’s son Tom marries Evelyn’s daughter Ruth, two very different women come into each other’s lives. Helene hardly knew her older doctor husband when they married and left West Virginia for Cleveland and their relationship was never emotionally close. She poured her love into their only child, Tom, determined to not let his father’s constant time at the hospital keep him from having a good childhood. Evelyn’s own parents separated when she was young, her mother determined to give her daughters opportunities in the city and away from the farm. A deeply practical woman, she had a warm, loving relationship with her husband until his death and three daughters, including whip-smart spiky Ruth, who comes into Helene’s life when the latter discovers letters written in German in her husband’s desk after his sudden passing and wants them translated. This leads Ruth to Tom, who she marries and has a daughter, Francie, with. Francie and Evelyn both dote on the sweet, anxious little girl, who is removed from their daily lives when her parents decide to move to New York for professional opportunities. As she grows up, she’s faced with bumps in the road and is faced with decisions that will determine the path of her life. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book was not quite what it’s marketing would have lead me to believe. I was expecting much more drama between Helene and Evelyn, and it’s not that there isn’t any, it’s just that it’s not as central to the narrative as I had anticipated. If you’re looking for dramatic grandmas battling it out, that’s not much of what’s on offer here. What is on offer are stories about being a woman in the world and the options that are presented to us. Helene, the least-loved child of her parents, is obsessed with external validation and appearances. Evelyn, faced with early instability, marries a solid provider and raises her children with detached affection. Ruth, too smart for going along to get along, strains against the boundaries that would put her purely in the domestic sphere. Francie seeks escape from her anxieties in ways that might not be healthy for her. Their lives are presented to the reader in snapshots over time, which keeps the pace lively but leads to dropped plot threads. We learn little about Evelyn’s marriage, for example, her husband only appearing vaguely in her recollections. The information in the letters Helene hires Ruth to translate could have lead somewhere, but this is not pursued. The earliest portion of Francie’s life in New York is a mystery. I often complain that books should have had tighter editing, but this is one I actually feel like I wish had been fleshed out a bit more. I found it enjoyable enough, but there are hints of a richness and depth that could have been achieved but never is. Shafer’s prose is clear, her characters vivid. The story concerns mostly the small moments that make a life, someone looking for a propulsive plot won’t find what they were hoping for. But if you enjoy female-centered family stories, this is a very solid one.
October 19, 2025
Marisa Silver's range is amazing - from a fictional imagining of the migrant mother in Dorthea Lange's famous "Migrant Mother" to a speculative folk tale in "Little Nothing" to this realistic fiction focusing on three generations of loosely associated women, she consistently looks at the depths of human thought, feeling, and motivation. At Last is the story, primarily of Helene Simonauer and Evelyn Turner, two women brought together by marriage of Helene's son, Tom, and Evelyn's 'hippy dippy' daughter Ruth. Both women are widows but with totally different attitudes and approaches. Evelyn has raised 3 daughters to be independent, and has supported herself after her husband's death. She is no-nonsense, practical and tough. Helene is a society matron and stands on stilted, dated (false) mores and roles for women that are becoming extinct in 1960s America. The two women don't like each other much, and have an innate sense of competition, especially once granddaughter Francie comes on the scene. It gives way to grudging respect later in life when the ties that connect them become a choice rather than a obligation. Francie's adult observation: "A grandparent, a parent -- it's not their job to explain themselves to their children and grandchildren. But it does seem to be the job of children and grandchildren to wonder, to weave together the bits and pieces that come down to them, to ask over and over, 'Who are you?'" Silver does not hide the warts of any of her characters and the result is a frank, deeply human story of the ability to love, change, and grow. ("Helene was old enough to know that every decision you made trailed second thoughts in its wake.") As a result, it is more interior than action-oriented, but presents a fascinating look at how we become who we are and how much of it is in our control.
August 24, 2025
At Last by Marisa Silver is a recommended, melancholy domestic drama which consists of twelve chapters that are actually interconnected short stories.
Helene Simonauer and Evelyn Turner first meet in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1971 when their children, Tom and Ruth, are getting married. Helene is tasked with getting flowers for the wedding and Evelyn drives her to the flower shop. The two women immediately don't like each other. From this point on the two women are connected by their granddaughter, Francine, even after their children divorce.
While the quality of writing is good, the pacing is very slow in this rather depressing character driven novel. There is a time jump between the chapters, so the novel covers decades in their lives. None of the characters are fully developed and never felt like real individuals, although their flaws are exposed. None of them are likable and they are all unhappy. Disappointment reigns supreme throughout the novel.
The plot point about the translated letters was left hanging, which was disappointing. There was also a throw away line early in the novel saying Evelyn's family sold the family farm east of Omaha. This puzzled me. My first thought was 'what, you mean across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa' because, of course, Omaha is a river city, right by the river. Perhaps a small plot of land by the river, but no farm would be happening east of the city.
At Last may be best appreciated by those who enjoy domestic dramas through interconnected short stories. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/0...
Helene Simonauer and Evelyn Turner first meet in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1971 when their children, Tom and Ruth, are getting married. Helene is tasked with getting flowers for the wedding and Evelyn drives her to the flower shop. The two women immediately don't like each other. From this point on the two women are connected by their granddaughter, Francine, even after their children divorce.
While the quality of writing is good, the pacing is very slow in this rather depressing character driven novel. There is a time jump between the chapters, so the novel covers decades in their lives. None of the characters are fully developed and never felt like real individuals, although their flaws are exposed. None of them are likable and they are all unhappy. Disappointment reigns supreme throughout the novel.
The plot point about the translated letters was left hanging, which was disappointing. There was also a throw away line early in the novel saying Evelyn's family sold the family farm east of Omaha. This puzzled me. My first thought was 'what, you mean across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa' because, of course, Omaha is a river city, right by the river. Perhaps a small plot of land by the river, but no farm would be happening east of the city.
At Last may be best appreciated by those who enjoy domestic dramas through interconnected short stories. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/0...
March 21, 2025
At Last is marketed as a story about two women Helene Simonauer and Evelyn Turner whose lives become intertwined when Helene’s son Tom, marries Evelyn’s daughter Ruth, and how the two women vie for the love of their granddaughter Francie. I don’t think this description of the book hits the mark
.
This is a multigenerational story of the four women Francie, Ruth, Helene and Evelyn. The chapters jump from different points in time in different decades which did not make for a cohesive story.
While I think the intention was to make the reader reflect on how at different points in time the women’s actions and motivations shaped them over time. I didn’t get the sense the characters grew or developed much. All the women read to me as deeply happy. Evelyn and Helene came of age during a time when being a wife, mother and homemaker was aspirational. Their unhappy childhood’s led to unhappy marriages. Once Francie is born the women just want the title of favorite grandmother (who doesn’t)
Their trauma gets passed down to Tom and Ruth. They come of age at a time when women begin working outside the home, yet Ruth is unable to “have it all” and is unhappy. Tom and Ruth do not stay married.
I found Francie to be the most interesting character, but she wasn’t as well written as she could have been. She was an odd child, a young adult struggling with identity issues and pill addiction. I felt like the last chapter put a bow on all the misery by giving Francie the happy ending.
Overall I give this book 3.5 stars. If you like multigenerational family stories its worth a read. Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy.
.
This is a multigenerational story of the four women Francie, Ruth, Helene and Evelyn. The chapters jump from different points in time in different decades which did not make for a cohesive story.
While I think the intention was to make the reader reflect on how at different points in time the women’s actions and motivations shaped them over time. I didn’t get the sense the characters grew or developed much. All the women read to me as deeply happy. Evelyn and Helene came of age during a time when being a wife, mother and homemaker was aspirational. Their unhappy childhood’s led to unhappy marriages. Once Francie is born the women just want the title of favorite grandmother (who doesn’t)
Their trauma gets passed down to Tom and Ruth. They come of age at a time when women begin working outside the home, yet Ruth is unable to “have it all” and is unhappy. Tom and Ruth do not stay married.
I found Francie to be the most interesting character, but she wasn’t as well written as she could have been. She was an odd child, a young adult struggling with identity issues and pill addiction. I felt like the last chapter put a bow on all the misery by giving Francie the happy ending.
Overall I give this book 3.5 stars. If you like multigenerational family stories its worth a read. Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy.
August 12, 2025
I read a free advance digital review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Evelyn and Helene would normally never have met, but they are forced together when their children, Ruth and Tom, marry. The women do not take to each other. When Evelyn moves to Cleveland, where Helene lives, to be close to Ruth and Tom and, a little later, their daughter Francie, their relationship turns from frosty to competitive. As time goes on, each woman goes through her own life challenges, and is helpless in the face of their children’s divorce and Francie’s problems with mental health.
Like my mother, Evelyn and Helene are women of the so-called Greatest Generation. But they all had their paths laid out for them; they weren’t given the option of making a lot of their own choices. Marisa Silver delves deep into what that is like for her two main characters, and how their lives affect the way they interact with Ruth, Tom, and Francie. We also read a good amount about Ruth and Francie, and about the relationships between the generations. Silver writes (insightfully, I think) that while it’s not the job of parents and grandparents to explain themselves to their children and grandchildren, the children and grandchildren do have the task of wondering about their forebears and piecing together the stories they’ve been told to try to complete the picture of who they are and were. This is a necessary part of figuring out who we are.
This would likely spur an excellent book club discussion.
Evelyn and Helene would normally never have met, but they are forced together when their children, Ruth and Tom, marry. The women do not take to each other. When Evelyn moves to Cleveland, where Helene lives, to be close to Ruth and Tom and, a little later, their daughter Francie, their relationship turns from frosty to competitive. As time goes on, each woman goes through her own life challenges, and is helpless in the face of their children’s divorce and Francie’s problems with mental health.
Like my mother, Evelyn and Helene are women of the so-called Greatest Generation. But they all had their paths laid out for them; they weren’t given the option of making a lot of their own choices. Marisa Silver delves deep into what that is like for her two main characters, and how their lives affect the way they interact with Ruth, Tom, and Francie. We also read a good amount about Ruth and Francie, and about the relationships between the generations. Silver writes (insightfully, I think) that while it’s not the job of parents and grandparents to explain themselves to their children and grandchildren, the children and grandchildren do have the task of wondering about their forebears and piecing together the stories they’ve been told to try to complete the picture of who they are and were. This is a necessary part of figuring out who we are.
This would likely spur an excellent book club discussion.
August 22, 2025
Weary of exploding helicopters and whodunnits, I turned to something literary. The plot was conspicuously lacking in action, even for a character-driven story. Still, I did not skim or skip whole pages, which I started doing after so many years of reading books that all sound alike. Marisa Silver has a flair for unique characters and a gift for putting us in the minds of others. "At Last" took me a long time to read, and I enjoyed the writing style more than the story itself, but it's still a compelling story.
The premise is relatable: two women with nothing in common are connected by a granddaughter after Helene's son and Evelyn's daughter meet and marry. Silver's prose is beautifully rendered, and she takes us into the hearts and minds of every character, not just the two mothers. She really captures their flaws. Evelyn and Helene are particularly hard to like, but we feel for them anyway. Truly, that takes talent, to keep me spending time with people I don't even like--fictional, yes, I know, but I spent hours with them, and they're people I wouldn't hang out with in real life. Who our children marry does put us into the social orbit of others, as the unlikely kinship of Helene and Evelyn shows us.
The novel spans several decades, and each time period is well drawn and memorable.
It's refreshing to know that today's publishers still recognize slow-moving, slow-paced "literary" fiction as worthy. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
The premise is relatable: two women with nothing in common are connected by a granddaughter after Helene's son and Evelyn's daughter meet and marry. Silver's prose is beautifully rendered, and she takes us into the hearts and minds of every character, not just the two mothers. She really captures their flaws. Evelyn and Helene are particularly hard to like, but we feel for them anyway. Truly, that takes talent, to keep me spending time with people I don't even like--fictional, yes, I know, but I spent hours with them, and they're people I wouldn't hang out with in real life. Who our children marry does put us into the social orbit of others, as the unlikely kinship of Helene and Evelyn shows us.
The novel spans several decades, and each time period is well drawn and memorable.
It's refreshing to know that today's publishers still recognize slow-moving, slow-paced "literary" fiction as worthy. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
December 8, 2025
Thank you @simonbooks for my #gifted copy and thank you @Simon.Audio for my #gifted listening copy of At Last! #simonbooksbuddy #simonaudio #simonandschuster #AtLast
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐢𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
At Last follows Helene and Evelyn, two widows who are brought together when their children marry one another. Both are complete opposites with contrasting beliefs. However, the one thing the two women have in common is their desire to be the favorite grandmother to their new granddaughter, Francie. There is such a rivalry between these two as they compete with one another. Both Helene and Evelyn play a special role in Francie’s life as she navigates some difficult life situations. As time goes on, we see the relationship between the two women start to shirt gradually as their own life circumstances change.
I am a big fan of family dramas and character driven novels. With that said, this one was a little more difficult for me to really latch onto. I liked it and found myself really reflecting on it, but didn’t love it. The writing was beautiful and loved the messages, but it was just a little slower for me. I think readers who love Ann Napolitano will really enjoy this one.
🎧I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Mia Barron. Barron did an excellent job with the narration and I loved how she did such a great job with this family saga and these characters. I would definitely recommend this one on audio as I thought she did a great job capturing the characters so well!
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐢𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
At Last follows Helene and Evelyn, two widows who are brought together when their children marry one another. Both are complete opposites with contrasting beliefs. However, the one thing the two women have in common is their desire to be the favorite grandmother to their new granddaughter, Francie. There is such a rivalry between these two as they compete with one another. Both Helene and Evelyn play a special role in Francie’s life as she navigates some difficult life situations. As time goes on, we see the relationship between the two women start to shirt gradually as their own life circumstances change.
I am a big fan of family dramas and character driven novels. With that said, this one was a little more difficult for me to really latch onto. I liked it and found myself really reflecting on it, but didn’t love it. The writing was beautiful and loved the messages, but it was just a little slower for me. I think readers who love Ann Napolitano will really enjoy this one.
🎧I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Mia Barron. Barron did an excellent job with the narration and I loved how she did such a great job with this family saga and these characters. I would definitely recommend this one on audio as I thought she did a great job capturing the characters so well!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews