Something Red

by Jennifer Gilmore

In Washington, D.C., life inside the Goldstein home is as tumultuous as the swiftly changing times. In 1979, the Cold War is waning and the age of protest has come and gone, leaving a once radical family to face a new set of challenges. Something Red is a masterly novel that unfurls with suspense, humor, and insight.



Dennis, whose government job often takes him to Moscow, struggles both to succeed in a career he doesn’t quite believe in and to live up to his father’s leftist legacy. Sharon, a caterer for the Washington elite, joins a cultlike group in search of the fulfillment she once felt. Happy-go-lucky Benjamin is heading off to college, there to experience an awakening of social conscience, and sixteen-year-old Vanessa finds a cure for alienation in D.C.’s hardcore music scene. As each of them follows separate trajectories of personal protest and compromise along the edge of a new decade, radical traditions long dormant in their family awaken once again, with shocking, far-reaching results.



A poignant story of husbands and wives, parents and children, activists and spies,

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Book Club

306 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2010

About the author

Jennifer Gilmore's second novel for teens, If Only, was published by Harper Teen in July 2018. She is also the author the YA novel, We Were Never Here, and the adult novels, The Mothers, which is currently being adapted for film, Something Red and Golden Country, a New York Times Notable Book, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the National Jewish Book Award.

Her work has appeared in magazines and journals including The Atlantic, Bomb, BookForum, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the New York Times Book Review, Real Simple, Salon, Tin House, Vogue and the Washington Post.

She has been a MacDowell Colony fellow and has taught writing and literature at Barnard College, Cornell University, Fordham University, Harvard University, the New School, New York University, and Princeton University.

Stop in and visit her facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennife...

Reviews

[Allyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a little disjointed, haphazard. At the end, I said "so?" Not a desired response I would think. She developed her characters well, but it felt like a snapshot of a time and her late 1979/1980 did not feel like my 1979/1980 at all. Stock characters- the caterer wife, the bulemic dghtr, the jock/Grateful Deadhead, all uninteresting to me. I was a little surprised by the ending, but again underwhelmed and found it easily dismissed from my mind. She wrapped it all up too quickly and I would have been curious to see what happened after the climax of action to each of the 4 main people. Instead she left it- ? for a sequel or simply unsure how to proceed. In the end it was just so so and unfortunately the last 2 books I have read have had an inordinate amount of time spent discussing sex. Are more literary interesting authors now also using this as a cop out to fill pages?
how boring.

[Anne Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this title on the NYT's list of 100 best books in 2010, and I enjoyed reading it. Similar in a way to "Freedom", it's the story of a husband, wife, nearly grown son and daughter, set in 1979/80 in Washington, DC. Each of the main characters have a running sort of stream of consciousness that surrounds the dialogue and storytelling, the present embedded in the past. And some of the chronology didn't quite fit together, if you ask me, combining the Old Left from the 1930's, Ethel Rosenberg, and Carter's 1980 Olympics boycott all in one nuclear family was a stretch.

[Judy Mann · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one really lousy book.I'm really starting to wonder if Christians are nervous of criticizing books about Jews. Well, I'm Jewish and I'll tell you- this is one really lousy book.
I am truly sorry to say this but the writing is atrocious.The sentences go on and on and on.In one sentence she covers 6 different topics - with 4 different points of view- and 3 different tenses.I swear that's true. After one sentence like that my head has been whipped around so many times that I have NO IDEA what she's talking about.
To be honest -I'm half way thru and I still have no idea what this book is about.
She seems to want to bring out a period in time that was very crucial to many people- especially the Jewish left. You out there have no idea what a critical time this was for American Jews.These people had come from Europe with deep deep convictions about both communism and socialism and even deeper loyalties to the labor movement.
And she writes this superficial drek about these whiny middle class intellectuals who don't seem to have any concept at all about anything except themselves.
Wow. What an atrocity.How does crap like this get printed?
I just don't know..
The only thing she got right -was all the fabulous arguing that went on amongst these people. It was just so loud and so massive. They all had opinions and they were always yelling them out to each other. Nothing passive or sweet about these people. They believed they could change the world and they could have-if superficial bores hadn't come along to shut them up.
This book misses its mark terribly. What a fabulous time. What a lousy, lousy book.
JM

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Jennifer Gilmore speak and read from her recent book, "Something Red: A Novel," at the Miami Book Fair 2010, last Sunday. She was articulate, interesting and a showstopper! This story takes place in 1979 after the flurry of the '60's, the heat of the Viet Nam War, Judy Chicago's "Dinner Party," and Charlie Manson. And during the wheat embargo that was "the USA's first attempt to starve the world," as she quoted. I absolutely loved her readings from her book about the "ordinary" family based in Washington, DC, who struggles with Communism at every turn, embargos, eating disorders, CIA, EST and other memorables of the late '70's. Whether you were there or not, you're sure to enjoy this book.

Jennifer gained much recognition for her first book, "Golden Country." It was a New York Times Notable Book of 2006, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Once I finish it, I'll be back with more of her story reviewed.

Newest Review: May 18, 2011

As I mention above, I met and heard Jennifer Gilmore discuss her book "Something Red..." at the Miami Book Fair in late 2010. She is a brilliant young woman with alot to say about the happenings of Washington, DC, during the Carter years. It's an odd time in American history, but a time that we will remember as ordinary families slightly jarred by the passing of the Viet Nam War, the Communist threat and parents beginning to bounce back into what they hope is the American Dream.

Ms Gilmore has a wry sense of humor. In person, I found her slightly mysterious about her background, smiling through the questions like a Cheshire Cat. She's a fascinating person and a lively and interesting author. I say don't miss her book. She's giving us a peek into an American family's dirty little secrets!

In these days of so many books with formula stories, historical romances and vampire/demon/incubus writings...it's a refreshing change to read something of literary significance.

I'm urging all of my friends who value a book of substance that is both enjoyable, and, perhaps a trip back to those strange, humorous President Carter years, to read this book. You'll enjoy this read...it goes down like a glass of cool Chablis.

4.5 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame
http://abookishlibraria.blogspot.com

[Ghita Schwarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book in many ways, a very vivid and entertaining portrayal of a lefty but non-radical family wondering how their politics and sympathies can survive into the future. I thought the subject matter and the way Gilmore handled it were very original -- 1979 politics through the prism of food: the mom with her organic locavore catering business searching for something more through EST, the jaded and distant dad working in the US Department of Agriculture, the daughter going through the agonies of an eating disorder that has not yet been named in the popular culture, the son ingesting every drug, food, and idea that is offered to him. I especially admired how Gilmore was able to portray, without mocking or judging, people who feel their politics deeply. Until about 50 pages from the end, this book accomplished what Franzen's highly overrated Freedom failed to do: it showed politics as a real, convincing family issue, capturing movingly and realistically the way a certain segment of Washington-involved citizens feel their times. From the way the characters react to the news to the way they experience sex, it seemed very honest on every page. The only thing stopping me from giving Something Red five stars is the twist ending, which to me seemed to come out of a completely different book. It added nothing and felt contrived, undermining the realism the author had established with everything prior. But the novel is really worth reading.

[Mollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had this book on my "to read" shelf for so long. Finally got it from the library, and then slogged (seriously slogged) through it. Oh my dull. This is a very boring, slow-paced book. I have great tolerance for wordy, descriptive passages, but this was just too boring. None of the characters felt particularly sympathetic; I guess Benji seemed ok, and his girlfriend was pretty great, but all the others were mostly irritating in their hand-wringing and general disastrousness. Gilmore does not write teenaged girls well, which is a pet peeve of mine. Vanessa has serious problems which no one takes seriously or tries to address: that's some shitty parenting that never gets called out. Are we supposed to feel badly for Sharon? She's awful. The only one worse is Dennis. Anyway, I guess the ending is supposed to be some big WHOA but I just really didn't care by that point.

For me, this was one of those books that is so wrapped up in trying to make you understand a particular place and time that it totally neglects the need for an interesting plot and real characters. Blah!

[Kalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid read, well-developed, and attention-grabbing. My only quibble (and if this sounds obtuse it's because I'm trying to avoid spoilers) is that the twist near the end came out of nowhere. Other potential twists had been hinted at, but not this one, so it seemed a bit odd that this is where the novel went. A bit of foreshadowing earlier on (and maybe it was there and I missed it? Don't think so, but....) would have made this a 4 1/2 or 5.

Overall, the characters and plot were well-developed and I like the slow reveal of novels like this--the whole "show don't tell" thing. Sharon was the weakest character--a bit of a caricature, but the others felt and sounded like real people to me. Anyone interested in Cold War history and stories of family dynamics should like this one and I expect it will be a good pick for book groups.

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was just really bored. I kept waiting for more things, any thing, to happen. Gilmore isn't a bad writer by any means but she spends so much time giving backstory and describing various things that there isn't really much that actually happens (until the crazy thing at the end). I wanted more dialogue, more writing "in scene," as opposed to the endless description by the author. While some of the characters were interesting -- Sharon, especially -- I found others not very believable. And enough with the Rosenbergs and the endless references to various 70s punk bands. It felt like Gilmore was trying to show off her street cred and it was just distracting.

[Erika Dreifus]

"Historical fiction" is often defined as fiction set in a time period before the author's birth/capacity to remember. Technically, Jennifer Gilmore can remember the late 1970s/early 1980s, but her novel certainly has an aura of the "historical" (in a good sense!). The author was a terrific guest at the Jewish Book Council Twitter Book Club meeting that featured her book (see the transcript here. One of the best discussions to date!

[Cher · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Something Red" is full of contrasting viewpoints: socialism versus communism versus capitalism, straight edge punk rock vs. Grateful Dead college hippie love. A critical thing lacking for me was a likeable character for much of the story. I slogged on with the reading, because I hate to stop mid-story and I was ultimately rewarded with character growth and a surprise ending.

[Barbara Lipkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so wanted to like this book so I plodded on. Disjointed with characters I did not like. Glad it is over.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have such mixed feelings about this book. I loved the time period (late 70s into 1980) and the location (Washington DC) and even the characters were interesting. But it was lacking something. It was kind of slow and the twist at the end left me saying "so what?" Glad to move on from this one, but it definitely had its moments.

[Julie Connelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, not a bad book. At times I felt like I was forcing myself to finish it, because there was so much description. The end it really all comes together, but the rest of it is more of a slow coming of age novel, nothing super special about it.

[Austin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t get into it. The characters feel like trite cliches and the plot is plodding at best. Don’t bother.

[Sarah Hetzel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written really well, but I just could not get into it. Maybe it’s one to try another day

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book primarily because it was set in 1979/1980 during the cold war and some of my teenage years. I thought it would be interesting to look back through the long lens of time and see what what I think. This book, based on reviews, is either one you love or one you hate. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground. I liked this book a lot. I thought the subject matter was interesting, I thought the story was pretty good and I thought the twist at the end was good, although a little convoluted.

The story is set in Washington D.C. during the Carter administration. The hostage crisis is on, the energy crisis is on, the Olympic boycott is on and the farming crisis is precipitated by the wheat boycott. The Cold War is in full effect. Fear of communism and socialism is high as well as fear of nuclear war. During this same time period, the United States was only 5 years removed from Vietnam and two or three years removed from Watergate and Nixon's resignation so faith and belief and trust from the American people towards their government was low. The author tries to get all these broad strokes in while also setting the scene of discussion within the Jewish community. Not being Jewish, I can't say I am fully informed but the general idea was that the community was very divided in its opinions about communism, capitalism and socialism.

The father in the story, Dennis, is an American with Russian Jewish parents. He works as a mid level government boffin at the USDA. His primary concerns throughout the story are based around the boycott and how this affects his job. In addition, the USDA has suspended all trade with Moscow and Dennis is no longer traveling for work. He is preoccupied with the fact that he may lose his job and this was a valid concern at that time. His wife, Sharon, is a middle aged woman who has a catering business with a friend. She grew up in the comparative wealth of the 50's and she and Dennis were too old for the hippie movement of the 60's having started a family in the early 60's. For women like Sharon, this was a time when they were catching up with the women's liberation movement and personal growth movements. Sharon has done both and inn addition, she has had a brief affair. She has not found her “thing” yet and by the end of the book, she has only inched closer but there is personal growth.

The two children are Ben and Vanessa. Ben is a freshman at Brandeis University. He is emerging and we really only see him as freshman. It is simply a snapshot. We know that as a high schooler he was a jock and now he is trying on being a hippie. He is discouraged because he knows he missed the heyday of protest movements. In fact, he has a professor who spends the year extolling the virtues of the yppies from Brandeis and how they changed the world while at the same time, disparaging the incoming freshman. He constantly reminds them that they missed the bus and that their concerns are somehow 'less than.” The children of Aquarius have been very unforgiving to the generation that followed them. It was difficult to be a part of the post Boomer world.

Vanessa is a high school junior. She is trying on punk and has an eating disorder. Her character more than any other is the least clearly defined. She is going through what all teenagers of the time go through – sex, drugs, music, fashion and where they fir in the family structure as well as societies structure. She resents her parents but loves them. She resents her brother for leaving her with their parents but those changes are inevitable. Life was very unsure for many during those years. Reagan and the new prosperity hadn't yet happened and the country was depressed as well as the people in it.

The story is told from the point of view of these four. I have seen criticism saying that it was confusing but I had no trouble following it. This isn't a fast paced, thrill a minute novel. It is slow and lumbering like a Russian Bear. It is very reflective of the time and it may be hard for those born in the late 1980's and beyond to relate at all to this period. We have only started looking at the early to late 60's in cultural studies now. This is still a relatively untapped historical period. There is a good twist at the end which was worth the wait. I recommend this book and can say that I enjoyed it.

[Marnie Kaplan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a tremendous feat. I can only imagine the level of research required to accurately portray various historical and cultural details from the late 1970s. It is a time period I never fully examined before. Even as an American history major (who focused on modern America), I barely made it beyond 1972. But this book - with its lyrical language and richly developed characters-captures the zeitgeist of the time period. I greatly enjoyed the multi-faceted experience of reading this book: I learned history, I languished inside an engaging plot and I marveled over artful description.

The book focuses on the disparate experiences of one nuclear family living in the suburbs of Washington DC, while also exploring the history that shaped each member of their extended family and the tenor of the time periods that shaped each individual. In shifting narration, we learn about Dennis, the father who works for the Department of Agriculture; Sharon, the mother who is a caterer for all of Washington's major dinner parties; Benji, the son who leaves behind his jock image and embraces rebellion and a hippy lifestyle while a student at Brandeis; and Vanessa, the teenage daughter who embraces punk, while struggling with an eating disorder. This book has everything: spy stories, radicalism, self-actualization groups, infidelity, sexual discovery, drugs, family drama and major historical moments.

Sharon looks for meaning as she ferries along in a world changed by the absence of her son (who is away at college). Dennis begins to question his long held belief that it is possible to challenge the status quo from inside the government. Benji laments the fact that he is at Brandeis ten years too late, skips class to attend Grateful Dead concerts and follows the lead of his activist girlfriend. He finds passion in a class titled "American Protest!" which includes studying his own grandfather's actions, and he eventually organizes a protest against the US Boycott of the 1980 Olympics. Vanessa, sullen and angsty, falls in love with the hearty sounds of punk and experiments sexually. She is constantly in need of more -more attention and more food (which she later throws up).

Gilmore's style and craft are flawless, her attention to detail astounding. As someone who lives in DC, I was fascinated by Gilmore's depictions of DC in the late 1970s and early 1980s. So much of the depictions remain true even if suburban teenagers no longer experiment in the same form. As someone obsessed with family history, I love the way Gilmore used history as a lens to examine the roots and ideology of one family. In truth this book was a perfect read for me as it combined many of my deepest interests: american history, family history, and oral history.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Gilmore's first novel, "Golden Country". It was a wonderful multi-generational story, set on NYC's lower East Side and I was eager to read Gilmore's next novel and was pleased it was a Vine selection.

"Something Red" is also multi-generational Jewish family story, this time set mainly in Washington DC - with side plots set at Brandeis University and in New York City. The setting is 1980, that time of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian Hostage crisis. And from those two events flow many other other things: the grain embargo by the US against the Soviets, Carter's decision to cancel American participation in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, as well as a reappraisal of American/Soviet diplomatic relations. Caught in this reappraisal is Dennis Goldstein, a high-ranking officer in the USDA with a job that often takes him to Moscow to participate in high-level trade talks. Dennis and his wife, Sharon,a caterer, have two children, the older, a boy about to begin college at Brandeis and a younger daughter, in high school. Vanessa, the daughter, is in the midst of typical teenage angst, centering on boys, food, rock music, and drugs. The two sets of grandparents - Dennis and Sharon's parents - represent the oldest generations. Dennis's parents live in New York and are old semi-revolutionaries who have differing views of their native Russia and the role of Communism in history. Sharon's parents - living the good life in Bel Air, had fled New York for a new life in the movie industry in Los Angeles. Oh, and the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg trial and execution in the early 1950's is also a part of the story.

And that's the problem with Gilmore's book. There are just way too many characters and way too many plot lines. Gilmore would have done better to have concentrated on a novel with way fewer characters. She would have been able to do justice with her writing - which is very good - and written a better book.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jennifer Gilmore's "Something Red: A Novel" is part historical fiction and part coming of age story for a suburban D.C. family in the 1970's. Gilmore creates characters with depth and believeability; however, she often does not give her characters the opportunity to show themselves to the reader through their actions and dialogue. Instead, the majority of her novel is told in lengthy paragraphs that are part internal character dialogue (of whichever character is most important at that time) and part info dump. This writing style makes the book difficult to read at times. Page after page of info dumps paired with all four family members being the focus at times, often switching perspectives within the span of a page of two made the novel difficult to follow and took away from the powerful story of this family.

I enjoyed the story immensely. She did a great job of capturing marital relations, sibling relations, and parent/child relations that fed off of the political backdrop and social make up of Washington, D.C.. It got to the point that I just had to sit down and finish reading because I wanted to know how the book ended.

The ending. Whoa. The whole hippie Grateful Dead chasing bus thing came out of left field and jarred me from the narrative. I'm not sure what was up with that, but I don't want to say any more for fear of spoiling the end.

[Deborah Previte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met and heard Jennifer Gilmore discuss her book "Something Red..." at the Miami Book Fair in late 2010. She is a brilliant young woman with alot to say about the happenings of Washington, DC, during the Carter years. It's an odd time in American history, but a time that we will remember as ordinary families slightly jarred by the passing of the Viet Nam War, the Communist threat and parents beginning to bounce back into what they hope is the American Dream.

Ms Gilmore has a wry sense of humor. In person, I found her slightly mysterious about her background, smiling through the questions like a Cheshire Cat. She's a fascinating person and a lively and interesting author. I say don't miss her book. She's giving us a peek into an American family's dirty little secrets!

In these days of so many books with formula stories, historical romances and vampire/demon/incubus writings...it's a refreshing change to read something of literary significance.

I'm urging all of my friends who value a book of substance that is both enjoyable, and, perhaps a trip back to those strange, humorous President Carter years, to read this book. You'll enjoy this read...it goes down like a glass of cool Chablis.

4.5 stars

Deborah/TheBookishDame
http://abookishlibraria.blogspot.com

[Janice]

The book before this was Blood Meridian, and although I was knocked out by it, it didn't give me that pleasure of immersing myself in the world of a novel. Thank you, Jennifer Gilmore, for Something Red. The book takes place in 1979-80, and everyone in the Goldstein family - mom, dad, son, and daughter - missed out on the 1960's. The parents were a little too old, and the kids too young; Benji, a college freshman, takes a class called "American Protest!" (exclamation point included) and longs to have been there. The sense of having missed out on something important is rubbed in by the paternal grandparents, long-time radicals. The family members experience all the everyday tzuris we all do, but there's also a larger question: In the absence of a sweeping political movement in which one can subsume one's individual identity, how does one live a meaningful life? Hmm, and although most of us don't think about that, isn't that a question for all of us?

The political angle doesn't always work, I think - and there's a weird red herring about the mother's father - but I loved hanging out with the Goldsteins. And I loved the way Gilmore holds these characters in compassion even when they're being ridiculous.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books I had to force myself to read. It was a good story and the writing wasn't terrible I just wasn't invested in the story so much that I was dying to know what would happen next. The family is no more dysfunctional than any other. The context is very interesting, I liked immersing myself in the 80's and the cold war but I was way too young to really have much of a clue about the depth of the fears many adults felt at the time. I think everyone can relate to the teens in the story, we have all lived through the coming of age emotions they experience. The mother is also an interesting character, as a mother and a wife. Both sets of parents/grandparents are quirky and fun and add depth the way extended family adds depth to families. After making myself reading the entire book and feeling fairly ambiguous about it my trouble is now, do I buy it? Maybe the bigger problem is, I don't care.

[Sue Matcuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had started reading this book when it first came out in 2010. But life was especially crazy back then, and I hadn't finished it. I started over and finished it now. Wow. I don't know that I can really say I had specific expectations, but this book took me by surprise (in a good way). What I thought was going to be a bit of an interesting family story sort of book was that but also so much more. And the description of a scene in Moscow, in the GUM shopping center, was especially meaningful to me, as I'd visited there in 1985. I had certain images in my memory of what that looked like. I've never been quite sure if my memories are correct. Reading the description I was able to validate that my mental pictures were accurate. That was an unexpected treat in reading the book. I won't say more; as I don't want to include spoilers. But I will say that if you were looking for something different, something interesting, I highly recommend "Something Red."

[Catherine Woodman]

WA very good book, set in the late 70's (during the Carter Administration and the hostage crisis). The family is Jewish Russian immigrants, and this fact remains of great importance throughout the novel. The perspective on America, socialism, religion, all of it is shaped by where they come from and their culture--mixed with the culture of their adopted country. Which some of them adopt better than others of them. Beautifully written and a good story, start to finish. This is a talented writer.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just finished Something Red by Jennifer Gilmore and all I can say is meh. It is a family saga (not my favorite) about parents who attended college in the late 50s (not my time period) with the story taking placed as children leave for college in the late 70s (again, not my time period). The background of the Carter administration/Washington D.C./music of the period brings the characters some interest, but overall I found the story uninspired and the characters not well developed. The author is a good enough writer that I kept reading, thinking some plot twist would develop. I was wrong

[Snem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the minor threads of themes that were shared by the main characters (ex: food, music and sex). I appreciated the different characters' perspectives. There was a serious lack of plot until almost 80% into the book. I kept looking for something to happen. The characters were so wrapped up in their own crap they were very unlikeable. I got the impression the ending was supposed to be very shocking, but I felt really blasé about it. The cagey way it developed didn't appeal to me either. Eh, I would skip this one.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was alright, and a different type of story trying to blend fiction with the historical events at the time. However, I felt the book was a little draggy, too wordy and not enough action. But that's just my opinion, I also found the twist at the end a little far-fetched. I don't want to spoil it for someone looking to read it so I won't say any more. It was an alright read, not the best.

[Jane M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed several parts of this book, but it ultimately left me dissatisfied. The story tries to cover multiple events and perspectives but never forms a coherent whole. Although the various stories had their own merits, I was left searching for an overarching plot direction. The ending is unexpected to the point of being random, and it leaves more loose ends than it ties up. An interesting look at life and politics (and their intersection) in the Cold War period, but not a great story.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent review in the NY Times... Loved this book about a family in DC in the late 70s, during the Cold War, hostages, grain embargo and Olympic Boycott. They are have deceptions and truth and are coming to terms with the choices they have made and will make in their lives. Really terrific (and not just because I think the author is awesome!)

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilmore brings us back to the late 1970s and early 1980s with the Goldstein family. From their different points of view, we see their reactions to the politically changing world outside. A reviewer said that the event at the end was a jump but thinking about it, I think it was Gilmore's way of showing that political opinion and political action are not the same thing.