A Milwaukee Inheritance

by David Milofsky

Successful Yale Law School grad Andy Simonson returns to Milwaukee if not in triumph, at least thinking he is better off than his blue-collar upbringing. However, coming home again proves to be less than it’s cracked up to be. A childhood friend lands him an associate gig at a big downtown firm. He settles into a lakeside mansion with his mercurial wife, Moira. Then his mother exacts a deathbed promise that he take over as landlord of her rundown duplex on the East Side—complete with delinquent occupants.
Moira is becoming obsessed with starting a family; Andy is becoming obsessed by thoughts of her friend Patsy. An unwinnable domestic dispute involving his shady tenant (and former classmate) Frankie “The Pin” Pignatano takes over more and more of his life. As tensions rise at home, at work, and in the duplex, Andy is forced to decide which vows he can honor.
This slow-burning, finely textured portrait of family dynamics pivots on secrets between generations and how the shadows of the past can darken the future.

232 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2019

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living in Milwaukee, I usually enjoy stories set in Milwaukee more than I did this one - if Andy had mentioned his house on Lake Drive one more time, I was going to puke - but there was something about Andy's relationship with the city that was off-putting. On the whole though, I did enjoy the story and the twists that it took.

[Joseph Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Milwaukee Inheritance", is a well crafted novel. It tells the story through the eyes of Andy Sorenson. Andy was raised in Milwaukee, but went east and earned an Ivy League law degree. He returns to Milwaukee with his wife. Moira, who had been raised in Boston. Andy inherits his mother's house and makes her a promise before she passes on. The promise fuels underlying problems between Andy and his wife. From the beginning the plot lines drew me in and I couldn't wait to turn the page. The characters are extremely interesting and run a wide gamut of social class. They are worlds apart from each other, yet in the end the connections become clear. As the title indicates, the story mainly takes place in Milwaukee, but Boston plays a major part as well. To find out how, you will have to read to see the connection. The characters have to deal with conflict, betrayal and secrets. Secrets both old and new. It is central to the story. At times the story is comforting, tender, humorous, shocking and heart rending. But it is always sincere in its message. There are surprising plot twists and they help bring the story into focus. Andy not only inherits his mothers home, he inherits insights into his own life as he travels along on his journey. It is a great novel of love, betrayal, forgiveness and hope.