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Expected 2 Jun 26Following her ‘dazzling’ (The Guardian) debut, The Animators, Kayla Rae Whitaker tells the sweeping story of one Southern family’s rise and fall throughout the 1980s, a tragicomic tour de force about love and marriage, parents and children, and the promise and limitations of the American Dream.
Baker-Taylor’s is a family business. Fran (née Baker) and Fred Taylor run a successful chain of discount retail stores in Kentucky and they’re cautiously Ataris and Hot Wheels, new branches and new management. With four healthy children and financial stability their own parents could have only dreamed of, Fred and Fran are the American rags to riches, a family dynasty built on years of hard work and long hours. Underneath the surface, however, the business is changing at a breakneck pace, and each family member is struggling to keep up.
Money is transforming Fred, and the extremes he will go to fit in with the high society crowd are embarrassing, if not downright dangerous. Oldest son Josiah wants nothing to do with the family business, Sam is seeing things that might not really be there, and Benny and Birdie are growing up with a fraction of the parenting that their older brothers did. Meanwhile, Fran, her family’s stable core, is falling for Wendy, a cashier at Baker-Taylor’s, risking everything along the way.
While trying to maintain the facade of a perfect success story, Fred and Fran discover that in matters of love and money, once it’s gone, it’s gone — no returns, no exchanges.
Baker-Taylor’s is a family business. Fran (née Baker) and Fred Taylor run a successful chain of discount retail stores in Kentucky and they’re cautiously Ataris and Hot Wheels, new branches and new management. With four healthy children and financial stability their own parents could have only dreamed of, Fred and Fran are the American rags to riches, a family dynasty built on years of hard work and long hours. Underneath the surface, however, the business is changing at a breakneck pace, and each family member is struggling to keep up.
Money is transforming Fred, and the extremes he will go to fit in with the high society crowd are embarrassing, if not downright dangerous. Oldest son Josiah wants nothing to do with the family business, Sam is seeing things that might not really be there, and Benny and Birdie are growing up with a fraction of the parenting that their older brothers did. Meanwhile, Fran, her family’s stable core, is falling for Wendy, a cashier at Baker-Taylor’s, risking everything along the way.
While trying to maintain the facade of a perfect success story, Fred and Fran discover that in matters of love and money, once it’s gone, it’s gone — no returns, no exchanges.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 2, 2026
380 people want to read
About the author
Kayla Rae Whitaker
3 books468 followersKayla Rae Whitaker lives in Louisville, Kentucky. THE ANIMATORS is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 1, 2025
I received this arc form the publisher. This is an absolutely wonderful novel that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. The characters are so finely drawn (especially Fred!) that you will start to recognize them as people from your own life.
December 26, 2025
Completely blown away by this epic novel! I had just been wondering when her follow-up to her incredible THE ANIMATORS would be and I understand the wait. This sprawling family drama, which spans decades, is juicy, heartfelt, and quite the deep dive into a family business struggling to come of age, alongside the family itself. You are going to love this one, put it on the top of your 2026 reads NOW
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews