Reviews
“Tanen’s… first novel for adults follows a YA title and a hilarious series of illustrated books featuring yellow chicks. Though her delightful sense of humor infuses the plot and dialogue with sparkle, the characters and their predicaments are not played for laughs, or not only for laughs—along with the farcical situations come moments of real emotion and insight… As the characters weather tough times and deal with hurts old and new, love and humor light the way. Full of intelligence and charm.”
—Kirkus, starred review
“Readers who miss The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg (2012) and the Lamberts from Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections (2001) will welcome the Kesslers. With equal parts humor and empathy, Tanen’s first novel for adults employs multiple narrators and a skillfully drawn cross-generational family to examine how relatives impact one another.”
—Booklist
“Tanen’s memorable wry humor and sharp dialogue will leave readers fully invested the rebuilding of relationships despite years of distance, trauma, and pain. Tanen’s refreshing tale of a nontraditional family legacy will appeal to fans of tightly plotted dramas in the vein of Maggie Shipstead’s work.”
—Publisher’s Weekly