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Baby of the Family
The money is old, the problems are new.
A wry and addictive debut about a modern-day American dynasty and its unexpected upheaval when the patriarch wills his dwindling fortune to his youngest, adopted son--setting off a chain of events that unearth family secrets and test long-held definitions of love and family.
The Whitbys: a dynasty akin to the Astors, once enormously wealthy real-estate magnates who were considered "the landlords of New York."
There was a time when the death of a Whitby would have made national news, but when the family patriarch, Roger, dies, he is alone. Word of his death travels from the longtime family lawyer to his clan of children (from four separate marriages) and the news isn't good. Roger has left everything to his twenty-one-year-old son Nick, a Whitby only in name, including the houses currently occupied by Shelley and Brooke--two of Roger's daughters from different marriages. And Nick is nowhere to be found.
Brooke, the oldest of the children, who is unexpectedly pregnant, leads the search for Nick, hoping to convince him to let her keep her Boston home and her fragile composure. Shelley hasn't told anyone she's dropped out of college just months before graduating, and is living in her childhood apartment while working as an amanuensis for a blind writer named Anandaroop Gupta, with whom she develops a rather complicated relationship. And when Nick, on the run from the law after a misguided and dramatic act of political activism, finally shows up at Shelley's New York home, worlds officially collide as Nick and Mr. Gupta's daughter fall in love. Soon, all three siblings are faced with the question they have been running from their whole lives: What do they want their future to look like, if they can finally escape their past?
Weaving together multiple perspectives to create a portrait of an American family, and an American dream gone awry, Baby of the Family is a book about family secrets--how they define us, bind us together, and threaten to blow us (and more) apart--as well as an amusing and heartwarming look at the various ways in which a family can be created.
A wry and addictive debut about a modern-day American dynasty and its unexpected upheaval when the patriarch wills his dwindling fortune to his youngest, adopted son--setting off a chain of events that unearth family secrets and test long-held definitions of love and family.
The Whitbys: a dynasty akin to the Astors, once enormously wealthy real-estate magnates who were considered "the landlords of New York."
There was a time when the death of a Whitby would have made national news, but when the family patriarch, Roger, dies, he is alone. Word of his death travels from the longtime family lawyer to his clan of children (from four separate marriages) and the news isn't good. Roger has left everything to his twenty-one-year-old son Nick, a Whitby only in name, including the houses currently occupied by Shelley and Brooke--two of Roger's daughters from different marriages. And Nick is nowhere to be found.
Brooke, the oldest of the children, who is unexpectedly pregnant, leads the search for Nick, hoping to convince him to let her keep her Boston home and her fragile composure. Shelley hasn't told anyone she's dropped out of college just months before graduating, and is living in her childhood apartment while working as an amanuensis for a blind writer named Anandaroop Gupta, with whom she develops a rather complicated relationship. And when Nick, on the run from the law after a misguided and dramatic act of political activism, finally shows up at Shelley's New York home, worlds officially collide as Nick and Mr. Gupta's daughter fall in love. Soon, all three siblings are faced with the question they have been running from their whole lives: What do they want their future to look like, if they can finally escape their past?
Weaving together multiple perspectives to create a portrait of an American family, and an American dream gone awry, Baby of the Family is a book about family secrets--how they define us, bind us together, and threaten to blow us (and more) apart--as well as an amusing and heartwarming look at the various ways in which a family can be created.
453 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2019
103 people are currently reading
1838 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
September 11, 2022
I have had this on my bookshelf for a couple of years and decided to give it a read.
It was just okay for me and well-written enough. It's a story about siblings in a dynastic family with remote and absent parents and what it feels like when the public doesn't care who they are anymore. A lot of hand wringing over what amounts to living like the 99% of the population and even then the upper end of the 99% not the bottom third. It was mildly interesting reading about Brooke, Nick and Shelley but in the end, their angst and ennui nor their coming out on the other side, won't remain with me.
It was just okay for me and well-written enough. It's a story about siblings in a dynastic family with remote and absent parents and what it feels like when the public doesn't care who they are anymore. A lot of hand wringing over what amounts to living like the 99% of the population and even then the upper end of the 99% not the bottom third. It was mildly interesting reading about Brooke, Nick and Shelley but in the end, their angst and ennui nor their coming out on the other side, won't remain with me.
March 21, 2025
DNF 62% Too many books too little time for mediocre books...
December 28, 2018
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Dutton
Pub. Date: March 5, 2019
The author, Maura Roosevelt, is the great-granddaughter of Eleanor and Franklin. Her novel is about a fictional modern-day American dynasty, the Whitbys. I admit the author’s own family lineage is what captured my eye in choosing this book to review. The fictional Whitbys will make you think of the once enormously wealthy real-life Astor family. In the past, the Astors were known as “The Landlords of New York.” I love how this novel begins: First, with a quote from George W. Bush: “When I was young and foolish, I was young and foolish.” Then, in the book’s opening, we learn that the always-foolish, current family patriarch, Roger Whitby Jr., dies after squandering away a fortune. We learn that, half a century prior, a Whitby death would've made headlines around the world—not anymore. The reader immediately knows that we will be entering the world of Roger’s offspring and their children as they learn to live minus the billions.
Roger Whitby Jr. has many children from four marriages that all ended in divorce. (The author added in a family tree, which is a nice touch). After his death, he bequeaths what is left of the fortune to his last son, who is adopted, as well as the baby in the family. This naturally becomes the tension in the story. The reader will become familiar with three of his children, each from a different marriage, who play major roles in the novel. They are half-siblings but still, they share the same feeling of abandonment. In these three, we learn that the story is not actually about the inheritance, but rather the half-siblings' childhood and adult struggles that stem from being a member of a famous clan (Heh, I can’t help but wonder about the author’s motives for writing this book).
I believe that Roosevelt attempted to write a novel on family love and healing. If so, that is not what I read. Basically, this is a poor little rich kid tale. There are so many subplots with each grown child that I became confused, which led to lack of interest. Spoiler: One daughter, in her early twenties (in the first job of her life) is clearly being sexually abused by the man she works for, yet I didn’t feel the anger that I should have felt. Her story gets lost in between the others. This is a shame as the novel has such potential. It reminded me of Jonathan Franzen’s novel “The Corrections.” There are strong similarities (meaning lots of Tolstoy-like soap). I am not comparing the talents of the famous Russian author to either of these current day writers. I am trying to say that Roosevelt’s “Baby” is missing the American Gothic feel that “Corrections” managed to catch.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amz...
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Dutton
Pub. Date: March 5, 2019
The author, Maura Roosevelt, is the great-granddaughter of Eleanor and Franklin. Her novel is about a fictional modern-day American dynasty, the Whitbys. I admit the author’s own family lineage is what captured my eye in choosing this book to review. The fictional Whitbys will make you think of the once enormously wealthy real-life Astor family. In the past, the Astors were known as “The Landlords of New York.” I love how this novel begins: First, with a quote from George W. Bush: “When I was young and foolish, I was young and foolish.” Then, in the book’s opening, we learn that the always-foolish, current family patriarch, Roger Whitby Jr., dies after squandering away a fortune. We learn that, half a century prior, a Whitby death would've made headlines around the world—not anymore. The reader immediately knows that we will be entering the world of Roger’s offspring and their children as they learn to live minus the billions.
Roger Whitby Jr. has many children from four marriages that all ended in divorce. (The author added in a family tree, which is a nice touch). After his death, he bequeaths what is left of the fortune to his last son, who is adopted, as well as the baby in the family. This naturally becomes the tension in the story. The reader will become familiar with three of his children, each from a different marriage, who play major roles in the novel. They are half-siblings but still, they share the same feeling of abandonment. In these three, we learn that the story is not actually about the inheritance, but rather the half-siblings' childhood and adult struggles that stem from being a member of a famous clan (Heh, I can’t help but wonder about the author’s motives for writing this book).
I believe that Roosevelt attempted to write a novel on family love and healing. If so, that is not what I read. Basically, this is a poor little rich kid tale. There are so many subplots with each grown child that I became confused, which led to lack of interest. Spoiler: One daughter, in her early twenties (in the first job of her life) is clearly being sexually abused by the man she works for, yet I didn’t feel the anger that I should have felt. Her story gets lost in between the others. This is a shame as the novel has such potential. It reminded me of Jonathan Franzen’s novel “The Corrections.” There are strong similarities (meaning lots of Tolstoy-like soap). I am not comparing the talents of the famous Russian author to either of these current day writers. I am trying to say that Roosevelt’s “Baby” is missing the American Gothic feel that “Corrections” managed to catch.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amz...
November 17, 2018
I finished reading this novel a few days ago, but it seems that I cannot stop processing it. This is the story of the remnants of a once great family. It focuses on the three youngest children of a very careless, destructive and irrational patriarch.
It is the story of Shelley, Brooke and Nick, siblings who have different mothers and have had tenuous connections during their lives. The catalyst is the death of paterfamilias Roger Whitby, member of the esteemed, once wealthy Whitby family. His death and his will cause a family crisis, threatening his youngest daughters while leaving the remainder of his fortune to his adopted son, Nick.
The author was able to bring these characters to life, their actions and motivations proved to put me in a hypnotic state as I traveled into Whitbyland. The descriptions of the characters and their surroundings are more vivid than anything I have read recently. I generally have a problem with too many characters, but the richness which the author uses to describe each character precludes any confusion.
There are secondary characters, but each moves the plot along and furthers our understanding of the protagonists. The bizarre Mr. Gupta and his daughter Grace, are skillfully woven into the plot.
I loved Shelley, I wanted to understand her motivations, she absolutely engaged me (still is) in trying to figure out what made her tick. I found I admired Brooke the most beleaguered and warm, the thoughtful caretaker sibling. It is Nick who left me unsure about my feelings. I think my total relationship with the characters demonstrates the quality and depth of the novel.
Roosevelt left me satisfied by pullling all the characters together. I was totally engaged and enjoyed every moment.
This is a debut novel that is simply stunning. The author’s insights into white privilege and the WASP ascendancy made me curious about her own connections, especially with her formidable last name. She is, in fact, a descendant of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Her understanding and abilities as a story teller make her a force to be reckoned with.
Bravo! One of the great novels of 2019, I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. I intend to recommend it to all my reading groups, it should not be missed.
It is the story of Shelley, Brooke and Nick, siblings who have different mothers and have had tenuous connections during their lives. The catalyst is the death of paterfamilias Roger Whitby, member of the esteemed, once wealthy Whitby family. His death and his will cause a family crisis, threatening his youngest daughters while leaving the remainder of his fortune to his adopted son, Nick.
The author was able to bring these characters to life, their actions and motivations proved to put me in a hypnotic state as I traveled into Whitbyland. The descriptions of the characters and their surroundings are more vivid than anything I have read recently. I generally have a problem with too many characters, but the richness which the author uses to describe each character precludes any confusion.
There are secondary characters, but each moves the plot along and furthers our understanding of the protagonists. The bizarre Mr. Gupta and his daughter Grace, are skillfully woven into the plot.
I loved Shelley, I wanted to understand her motivations, she absolutely engaged me (still is) in trying to figure out what made her tick. I found I admired Brooke the most beleaguered and warm, the thoughtful caretaker sibling. It is Nick who left me unsure about my feelings. I think my total relationship with the characters demonstrates the quality and depth of the novel.
Roosevelt left me satisfied by pullling all the characters together. I was totally engaged and enjoyed every moment.
This is a debut novel that is simply stunning. The author’s insights into white privilege and the WASP ascendancy made me curious about her own connections, especially with her formidable last name. She is, in fact, a descendant of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Her understanding and abilities as a story teller make her a force to be reckoned with.
Bravo! One of the great novels of 2019, I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. I intend to recommend it to all my reading groups, it should not be missed.
February 2, 2019
Utterly boring and superfluous book about a bunch of very unlikeable, spoiled characters, described by boring events in their past, while almost nothing happens in the present although the author tries her utmost to convince us otherwise, and in the end they are all changed and grown-up and self-found and what have you.
March 13, 2019
2.5 A novel written by a Roosevelt, with a Kennedy like family at the center of the story is intriguing, and while I enjoyed parts of the book there was much that fell short.
The baby in the title of the book is the youngest, and adopted son of a large, dysfunctional, aristocratic, American family. When Roger Whitby, the patriarch of this messy group dies, he leaves his entire fortune to Nick, the 20 something "baby".
Good premise, but somewhere along the way, what should be the core of the book, gets lost around the search for Nick, his screwed up slightly older half-sister Shelley and her peccadilloes, and Brooke, another of his half-siblings, and her problems.
The book was bogged down with no clear direction and I found myself bored and wishing it would all just end. The writing was strong though and just needed some editing to help move the story along.
The baby in the title of the book is the youngest, and adopted son of a large, dysfunctional, aristocratic, American family. When Roger Whitby, the patriarch of this messy group dies, he leaves his entire fortune to Nick, the 20 something "baby".
Good premise, but somewhere along the way, what should be the core of the book, gets lost around the search for Nick, his screwed up slightly older half-sister Shelley and her peccadilloes, and Brooke, another of his half-siblings, and her problems.
The book was bogged down with no clear direction and I found myself bored and wishing it would all just end. The writing was strong though and just needed some editing to help move the story along.
April 1, 2019
It took a little bit for me to get into this epic story of a so-called privileged family. I’m not quite sure if the ending is happy or sad, perhaps just the way life goes. An interesting story to talk about, I think.
March 7, 2019
Baby of the Family is a novel about the once influential Whitby family.
Roger Whitby, the four times married family patriarch, has died after squandering a majority of his wealth. He’s left what remains of his estate to his youngest (adopted) son, Nick, the son of his fourth wife. Nick is a young man who has been struggling to find a purpose in his life. As his father is dying, Nick becomes involved in an act of political activism, and then goes missing.
Brooke, Roger’s daughter from his second marriage, is dealing with her own issues. She’s pregnant by a man she doesn’t love, afraid to admit to the love she has for Allie, and her house—the one thing she has from her dad—has just become part of Nick’s inheritance. Brooke doesn’t even really know Nick and has no idea if she’ll be forced out of the house. She’s barely able to get by on her nursing job, and the thought of having to add rent or a mortgage to her financial plan—in addition to the cost of having a baby—has left her unsure of the right decisions.
Roger’s daughter Shelley is living with her mother in the New York apartment Roger walked out of years ago. Her mom has left after descending into a years-long cycle of depression. Desperate for income, Shelley takes a job with a very peculiar man, and ends up in a complex relationship with him.
Told from the point of view of these three Whitby children, each abandoned and let down by their father, it explores the complex relationships between children and their parents. It’s really about finding and being yourself, despite your familial relations.
It was hard to identify with the characters (for obvious reasons—the lack of my own family fortune), but they were interesting enough to keep me reading. Baby of the Family wasn’t a novel that drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat, but I was passively interested enough to continue reading to find out what happens to each of the characters.
I received an ARC of Baby of the Family from Netgalley and Dutton Books in exchange for an honest review
November 25, 2019
Quit at 41%. So boring. Pages and pages spent on characters having repetitive thoughts about what to do with their lives, which I think is supposed to make them seem like they're well-developed, but instead comes across like the book needs a better editor.
The author being a Roosevelt isn't intriguing enough to make up for this banal, hackneyed story.
I would sort of like to see how the weirdo blind architect plays out, but in a cringey kind of I-don't-really-want-to-know way because I really hated him and his family.
The author being a Roosevelt isn't intriguing enough to make up for this banal, hackneyed story.
I would sort of like to see how the weirdo blind architect plays out, but in a cringey kind of I-don't-really-want-to-know way because I really hated him and his family.
January 26, 2019
Received an advance e-ARC from Netgalley. Didn't love it, found it hard to like the characters, but wanted to finish to see where they went.
April 4, 2019
Amazing book! I am eager to meet Maura Roosevelt at Booktopia!
October 17, 2019
Moving at a snail’s pace and after 75 pages of reading about miserable and spoiled people, this goes back to the library.
April 15, 2019
This is a family saga with a wealthy patriarch who essentially inherited his money and a set of expectations that usually goes along with that. Restless and dissatisfied with his lack of business success, he marries 4 times to try to achieve some sort of personal happiness. Each of his marriages ends in disappointment.
Who is the baby of the family? It could be argued that there are 4 families but this story revolves around the 3 youngest so take your pick. Nick is the youngest but not actually a biological child, then there is Shelley whose mother is a mentally ill socialite, and Brooke has a real job but is confused about her sexuality. There are 6 other siblings who play minor or non-existent roles. A family tree is conveniently provided in the front of the book should you get confused.
Things start to get interesting when Nick, inexplicably, is left the entire family fortune including the homes of some of his siblings.
Roosevelt does a good job of painting her characters….I found them believable for the most part and sympathetic. I wasn’t real keen on the dynamic between Shelley and Mr. Kamal….this was probably the weakest part of the narrative and I didn’t feel that it really added anything except maybe a way to tie some of the other characters together.
I enjoyed the flash forward at the end of the novel where we see how the characters lives changed. For a debut novel, it was a good, solid read.
Who is the baby of the family? It could be argued that there are 4 families but this story revolves around the 3 youngest so take your pick. Nick is the youngest but not actually a biological child, then there is Shelley whose mother is a mentally ill socialite, and Brooke has a real job but is confused about her sexuality. There are 6 other siblings who play minor or non-existent roles. A family tree is conveniently provided in the front of the book should you get confused.
Things start to get interesting when Nick, inexplicably, is left the entire family fortune including the homes of some of his siblings.
Roosevelt does a good job of painting her characters….I found them believable for the most part and sympathetic. I wasn’t real keen on the dynamic between Shelley and Mr. Kamal….this was probably the weakest part of the narrative and I didn’t feel that it really added anything except maybe a way to tie some of the other characters together.
I enjoyed the flash forward at the end of the novel where we see how the characters lives changed. For a debut novel, it was a good, solid read.
July 2, 2019
The writing was solid, but the plot and the characters fell a bit flat for me. I wasn't crazy over the dynamic between Shelley and Mr. Kamal, it creeped me out a bit.
Read
January 23, 2019Couldn't get through it. DNF
March 29, 2019
An heir to a once great family has been married four times before he passes away. He leaves his entire estate to his stepson from his last marriage. This puts his other children, already adrift in life, further from shore. The stepson Nick has lost his way as well and is hiding from the law after a botched misguided domestic terrorist attack . If he is caught his entire estate might be confiscated. I found the story interesting at times, but a bit of dead air in it that could have been streamlined.
March 8, 2019
This novel’s epigraph includes a quote from George W. Bush: “When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible.” That is a perfect summary of the book; it is about three young people acting irresponsibly.
Roger Whitby, the patriarch of a once enormously wealthy family, dies and leaves his diminished fortune to his 21-year-old son. Nick is his youngest son, actually a stepson; Roger’s fourth wife was a single mother when she met Roger. Though Roger has several other children from his previous three marriages, Nick inherits everything, including houses currently occupied by these other children.
The book focuses on three siblings from three of Roger’s marriages. Nick is unaware of his father’s death because he is a member of an eco-terrorist group and has to go into hiding after an attack on a biotech lab. Shelley drops out of college and gets a job as an amanuensis for a blind architect with whom she develops an unhealthy relationship. Brooke is a nurse who becomes pregnant but is really in love with a woman. Shelley and Brooke could both lose their homes to Nick and so are anxious to find him.
None of the three is likeable. The reader is supposed to feel sympathy for the three because each was abandoned by Roger; flashbacks are used to emphasize their feelings of abandonment when Roger left their mothers and thereafter gave them only sporadic attention: “But every time he’d shown up had also corresponded with a minor breakdown in his daily life.” As a consequence, they are looking for the affection and stability they didn’t have as children. They also feel burdened by the expectations placed on them because of their family name: “The Whitbys of the last few generations were rather afflicted with the sincere and problematic issue of not knowing what the hell to do.”
Actually, however, the Whitby name means less and less; in fact, the book opens commenting on this: “There was a time when the death of a Whitby would have made the evening post. Two generations earlier, flags would have been flown at half-mast and taps played in town squares at dusk. . . . But when Roger Whitby Jr. died half a century later, there was no such hubbub.” The name does, however, still carry enough cachet that it gives people a sense of superiority; one outsider comments on the greatest benefit of being a Whitby: “you were born knowing you had worth. This entitlement, randomly assigned by the universe, was simply not fair.” Nick, Shelley and Brooke need to overcome any feelings of being extraordinary and get on with “the beastly process of becoming” their own persons.
The three are spoiled rich kids. The author takes pains to point out that “The rich are no different from the rest; different only, perhaps, in the inclination to be more outrageous.” However, it seems that the rich take longer to grow up. (Maybe the title has more than one meaning?) Only at 21 years of age does Nick realize he must accept responsibility for his decisions and their consequences: “As he owned up to it all, he realized that every single action was a result of his own choices. He was responsible for it all”?! They also seem to have little self-control; all three have anger issues: Nick “was filled with an anger that teetered on uncontrollable” and “A sense of injustice began to fill [Shelley] with anger. . . . It simply wasn’t fair” and “Overcome with anger, [Brooke] dropped to her knees on the wet sand too, exasperated.” Brooke calls Shelley “young and self-absorbed” but 37-year-old Brooke is not much better. She is in a panic because she might actually have to pay rent for the first time in her life?! The truth is that the three have endless opportunities yet all they do is whine.
I really struggled to get through the book. It goes on and on (450+ pages) and I cared less and less about the three protagonists, three poor rich kids who keep acting irresponsibly and making stupid decisions. The author is the great-granddaughter of Eleanor Roosevelt and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt; her 2014 marriage received mention in The New York Times. She could very well be writing about her family, but the portrait of her generation is not flattering.
Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Roger Whitby, the patriarch of a once enormously wealthy family, dies and leaves his diminished fortune to his 21-year-old son. Nick is his youngest son, actually a stepson; Roger’s fourth wife was a single mother when she met Roger. Though Roger has several other children from his previous three marriages, Nick inherits everything, including houses currently occupied by these other children.
The book focuses on three siblings from three of Roger’s marriages. Nick is unaware of his father’s death because he is a member of an eco-terrorist group and has to go into hiding after an attack on a biotech lab. Shelley drops out of college and gets a job as an amanuensis for a blind architect with whom she develops an unhealthy relationship. Brooke is a nurse who becomes pregnant but is really in love with a woman. Shelley and Brooke could both lose their homes to Nick and so are anxious to find him.
None of the three is likeable. The reader is supposed to feel sympathy for the three because each was abandoned by Roger; flashbacks are used to emphasize their feelings of abandonment when Roger left their mothers and thereafter gave them only sporadic attention: “But every time he’d shown up had also corresponded with a minor breakdown in his daily life.” As a consequence, they are looking for the affection and stability they didn’t have as children. They also feel burdened by the expectations placed on them because of their family name: “The Whitbys of the last few generations were rather afflicted with the sincere and problematic issue of not knowing what the hell to do.”
Actually, however, the Whitby name means less and less; in fact, the book opens commenting on this: “There was a time when the death of a Whitby would have made the evening post. Two generations earlier, flags would have been flown at half-mast and taps played in town squares at dusk. . . . But when Roger Whitby Jr. died half a century later, there was no such hubbub.” The name does, however, still carry enough cachet that it gives people a sense of superiority; one outsider comments on the greatest benefit of being a Whitby: “you were born knowing you had worth. This entitlement, randomly assigned by the universe, was simply not fair.” Nick, Shelley and Brooke need to overcome any feelings of being extraordinary and get on with “the beastly process of becoming” their own persons.
The three are spoiled rich kids. The author takes pains to point out that “The rich are no different from the rest; different only, perhaps, in the inclination to be more outrageous.” However, it seems that the rich take longer to grow up. (Maybe the title has more than one meaning?) Only at 21 years of age does Nick realize he must accept responsibility for his decisions and their consequences: “As he owned up to it all, he realized that every single action was a result of his own choices. He was responsible for it all”?! They also seem to have little self-control; all three have anger issues: Nick “was filled with an anger that teetered on uncontrollable” and “A sense of injustice began to fill [Shelley] with anger. . . . It simply wasn’t fair” and “Overcome with anger, [Brooke] dropped to her knees on the wet sand too, exasperated.” Brooke calls Shelley “young and self-absorbed” but 37-year-old Brooke is not much better. She is in a panic because she might actually have to pay rent for the first time in her life?! The truth is that the three have endless opportunities yet all they do is whine.
I really struggled to get through the book. It goes on and on (450+ pages) and I cared less and less about the three protagonists, three poor rich kids who keep acting irresponsibly and making stupid decisions. The author is the great-granddaughter of Eleanor Roosevelt and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt; her 2014 marriage received mention in The New York Times. She could very well be writing about her family, but the portrait of her generation is not flattering.
Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
March 15, 2019
The author is a descendant of "THAT" Roosevelt family and one can't help but imagine some of the dialogue carried out by the main characters may well have sprung from countless interactions in which she had to explain "Yes, as in, THE Roosevelt family."
The main characters, a far-flung family of half- and step-siblings are narrated in mildly overlapping anecdotes, culminating in a trio of principal siblings arriving at a decisive moment in time after a prolonged estrangement. This book was filled with characters that were hard to like, but ones who stay with you long after the last page has turned. Referenced liberally throughout, The Great Gatsby, is also a good comparison point for me as a reader. It is not a sweet story with a happy plot running through, but it will be one you remember and characters that will likely resurface in readings of other books through reader's inner monologues.
And for those that like a bit of resolution with their drama and angst, rest assured, the last chapter will satisfy your need to know how it all comes 'round.
I had the opportunity to read this book as a digital ARC offered by NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review. #BabyOfTheFamily #NetGalley
The main characters, a far-flung family of half- and step-siblings are narrated in mildly overlapping anecdotes, culminating in a trio of principal siblings arriving at a decisive moment in time after a prolonged estrangement. This book was filled with characters that were hard to like, but ones who stay with you long after the last page has turned. Referenced liberally throughout, The Great Gatsby, is also a good comparison point for me as a reader. It is not a sweet story with a happy plot running through, but it will be one you remember and characters that will likely resurface in readings of other books through reader's inner monologues.
And for those that like a bit of resolution with their drama and angst, rest assured, the last chapter will satisfy your need to know how it all comes 'round.
I had the opportunity to read this book as a digital ARC offered by NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review. #BabyOfTheFamily #NetGalley
March 8, 2019
Roger Whitby dies and leaves what's left of his fortune to his youngest and "adopted" son Nick, much to the dismay of two of his half sisters who are living in family-owned homes. But Nick has disappeared and, as long as he doesn't know about his father's death and the change to the will, Brooke and Shelley are in no hurry to find him.
Nick's mother, Susan, would like to find him, though, because she wants a piece of the inheritance as payback for what Roger did to her (his fourth wife) and Nick. Shelley's mother, Elizabeth, also plays a role in the story as Brooke, not Shelley, is forced to deal with a medical emergency.
We get a look into Brooke's private life -- a break-up, an unexpected pregnancy, a turned-down wedding proposal, and the possibility that she'll have to find a new place to live if Nick finds out he owns her house.
Shelley, who is the closest to Nick, is also dealing with the uncertainty of the Nick-owning-her-house situation and, when he shows up on her doorstep, doesn't even tell him about their father's new will. He lives there with her for months before a traumatic event leads her tell him the truth.
During those months, Shelley is in a weird relationship with her strange boss and his family.
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an Astor or a Vanderbilt this is a bit of a look into that lifestyle, from the point of view of a couple of 20-somethings (back in 2003) their older sister and their mothers.
I found it very satisfying.
Nick's mother, Susan, would like to find him, though, because she wants a piece of the inheritance as payback for what Roger did to her (his fourth wife) and Nick. Shelley's mother, Elizabeth, also plays a role in the story as Brooke, not Shelley, is forced to deal with a medical emergency.
We get a look into Brooke's private life -- a break-up, an unexpected pregnancy, a turned-down wedding proposal, and the possibility that she'll have to find a new place to live if Nick finds out he owns her house.
Shelley, who is the closest to Nick, is also dealing with the uncertainty of the Nick-owning-her-house situation and, when he shows up on her doorstep, doesn't even tell him about their father's new will. He lives there with her for months before a traumatic event leads her tell him the truth.
During those months, Shelley is in a weird relationship with her strange boss and his family.
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an Astor or a Vanderbilt this is a bit of a look into that lifestyle, from the point of view of a couple of 20-somethings (back in 2003) their older sister and their mothers.
I found it very satisfying.
May 28, 2019
2 1/2 stars would be more appropriate because it's more than "okay", but I can't say I "liked it".
A member of a once very influential family has died, and left what remains of his fortune to his youngest child. Nick is an adopted child, and doesn't feel accepted by many of his older siblings. Nick's also a sort of protestor, who's on the run from having taken part in the destruction of an industrial building. He's only close to one half sister, who in turn is only close to another half sister. Those two sisters live in houses belonging to their father, who has left the houses to Nick. It's convoluted and weird. Also, I have the feeling that if they'd lost the houses, these women would still find a way to land on their feet, so it felt like a manufactured crisis.
I've never been socially prominent or that financially well off, so I may be missing a lot of subtext. I was just surprised that there's only one lawyer involved in the settling of this estate. Somehow I would have expected everyone to lawyer up and this battle to take place more in courtrooms than in each other's houses.
None of these kids seemed to understand how people are - even those they were closest to. Shelley is one messed up young woman. Nick is so spoiled and bratty. Brooke is the most likeable and even she doesn't seem to get that you can't just order the world to be the way you want.
It's one of those books where I kept reading, and I wasn't quite sure why. It was just intriguing enough that I kept going?
A member of a once very influential family has died, and left what remains of his fortune to his youngest child. Nick is an adopted child, and doesn't feel accepted by many of his older siblings. Nick's also a sort of protestor, who's on the run from having taken part in the destruction of an industrial building. He's only close to one half sister, who in turn is only close to another half sister. Those two sisters live in houses belonging to their father, who has left the houses to Nick. It's convoluted and weird. Also, I have the feeling that if they'd lost the houses, these women would still find a way to land on their feet, so it felt like a manufactured crisis.
I've never been socially prominent or that financially well off, so I may be missing a lot of subtext. I was just surprised that there's only one lawyer involved in the settling of this estate. Somehow I would have expected everyone to lawyer up and this battle to take place more in courtrooms than in each other's houses.
None of these kids seemed to understand how people are - even those they were closest to. Shelley is one messed up young woman. Nick is so spoiled and bratty. Brooke is the most likeable and even she doesn't seem to get that you can't just order the world to be the way you want.
It's one of those books where I kept reading, and I wasn't quite sure why. It was just intriguing enough that I kept going?
January 15, 2019
The Whitbys are an American dynasty that has succumbed to the passage of time. Once a family of great wealth and notoriety, the most recent generations have squandered away their money and influence. When the current patriarch of one branch of the family, Roger Whitby, Jr., dies, his multiple children from four tumultuous marriage most sift through what's left. Brooke, the dutiful youngest daughter of Roger's second marriage, finds out first that what's left of everything, including her home and that of her youngest half-sister, Shelley, has been left to the youngest, the adopted son, Nick. All the siblings suffer from the world Roger has pulled them into. Brooke has been in search for some stability ever since her father left for a new family. Shelley never felt her father's affection, she never could shake the feeling that she was a mistake. And Nick didn't want to be involved. And now he's disappeared. Has he gotten in some kind of trouble? Brooke recruits Shelley to start the search, with the family's past following close behind.
Overall, Baby of the Family is a story about growing up and taking responsibility for oneself. All three siblings have a thing or two to learn in this aspect. I just finished reading a narrative about the Patty Hearst kidnapping. I ended up seeing a lot of parallels in these two stories regarding actions and consequences, especially when the players are from wealthy families (if no longer particularly rich, then still wealthy in connections). At some points I grew frustrated with the spoiled Whitby siblings, but they were just children trying desperately to find their place in the world. We can all relate to that.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Overall, Baby of the Family is a story about growing up and taking responsibility for oneself. All three siblings have a thing or two to learn in this aspect. I just finished reading a narrative about the Patty Hearst kidnapping. I ended up seeing a lot of parallels in these two stories regarding actions and consequences, especially when the players are from wealthy families (if no longer particularly rich, then still wealthy in connections). At some points I grew frustrated with the spoiled Whitby siblings, but they were just children trying desperately to find their place in the world. We can all relate to that.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
February 22, 2019
"Baby of the family" centers around a modern-day American dynasty - the Whitbys. When the family patriarch, Roger Whitby Jr. dies, he lefts all the fortune to his adopted son Nick. This book is told in three POVs in multiple timelines: Nick, Brooke and Shelley - three children, each of different marriage and the fortune is the tension of this book.
Roosevelt writes a portrait of a wealthy family which each member faces their struggles and insecurities. There are family secrets/crisis, society pressure and political activism. The storyline is fundamentally character-driven: the author develops the three half-siblings' lives and shows us their background (past) plus the motivations that resulted in their current behavior. Although I found the plot quite flat sometimes, I enjoyed most Shelley for her unique thoughts and personal growth.
I wasn't connected with the secondary characters and I think that some events could have taken another perspective. In the end, the author brought all things together. To emphasize, I found very interesting/helpful the family tree in the beginning of the book.
This fictional novel about Whitbys can, in some point, be related to Roosevelt lineage. Thus I would recommend this title if you enjoy wealthy family drama.
[Thanks for Dutton books for the review copy and all opinions are my own]
Roosevelt writes a portrait of a wealthy family which each member faces their struggles and insecurities. There are family secrets/crisis, society pressure and political activism. The storyline is fundamentally character-driven: the author develops the three half-siblings' lives and shows us their background (past) plus the motivations that resulted in their current behavior. Although I found the plot quite flat sometimes, I enjoyed most Shelley for her unique thoughts and personal growth.
I wasn't connected with the secondary characters and I think that some events could have taken another perspective. In the end, the author brought all things together. To emphasize, I found very interesting/helpful the family tree in the beginning of the book.
This fictional novel about Whitbys can, in some point, be related to Roosevelt lineage. Thus I would recommend this title if you enjoy wealthy family drama.
[Thanks for Dutton books for the review copy and all opinions are my own]
February 25, 2019
Roger Whitby has died and now his children- Shelley, Brooke, and Nick - have to deal. They have to deal with each other and with their feelings about their wealthy, privileged existence. If there's a reason not to like this well written and well meaning novel, it's that these people really have it all in ways that, let's face it, most of the rest of us do not. That might alienate some readers. Told from the perspective of each child, it does work. You might not agree with all of their choices (I wanted to tell Shelley, who I quite liked, to get another job) but these are fairly complex characters, which is important if you're going to spend this much time with them. I would have argued for another edit to pare a bit but on balance, this is perfect for fans of the big fat family saga moved into the modern era. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.
March 3, 2019
I love big family epics. Multiple characters, timelines and a large family secret - these are the stories I love and return to year after year. Sadly, Baby of the Family will not be this book for me.
Told over multiple narrators and timeline, this is the story of the Roger Whitby Jr. children. Roger has died and left a strange request in his will. What follows is a rather boring family history, told via Brooke and Shelley. It's a very rich person story. There's nothing all that interesting is people being upset that they didn't get a house once their dad died.
Maura Roosevelt is a good writer but perhaps this isn't the story for her to tell. It was just....white people problems.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Told over multiple narrators and timeline, this is the story of the Roger Whitby Jr. children. Roger has died and left a strange request in his will. What follows is a rather boring family history, told via Brooke and Shelley. It's a very rich person story. There's nothing all that interesting is people being upset that they didn't get a house once their dad died.
Maura Roosevelt is a good writer but perhaps this isn't the story for her to tell. It was just....white people problems.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
May 5, 2021
I wish I would have read reviews before purchasing this book. It is grotesquely scattered. Nothing happens, the story doesn’t flow, the characters are not relatable or realistic. I mean, was this a rough draft or an outline of ideas the author wanted to put in a book? Nothing fits and I hated every word of it.
July 7, 2019
This was Written by the great granddaughter of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. I don’t know what I expected, but it was more than I got. This was a very long, spoiled rich kid story, and not a very good one. I should have cut my loses after the first 50 pages. Wish I had.
December 17, 2020
It took me a long time to finish this book. I kept wanting to give it a go, as the concept was interesting and Maura Roosevelt is a fine writer. However, the characters were not relatable nor likable and the story could have been pared down by 150 pages.
April 9, 2019
How could I resist this title but I should have. Would love to discuss this in a book club - maybe I missed something.
April 21, 2019
Did not finish. Too many unlikable characters to hold my interest. I had hopes but maybe next novel, Maura.
May 5, 2019
Bleck.... waste of time
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