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Available
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Publication
Pamela Dorman Books (2023), 315 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Time, Vogue, Elle, Southern Living, Bustle, and more �A vibrant and hilarious debut�Pineapple Street is riveting, timely, hugely entertaining and brimming with truth.� �Cynthia D�Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest �A delicious new Gilded Age family drama� a guilty pleasure that also feels like a sociological text.� �Vogue A deliciously funny, sharply observed debut of family, love, and class, this zeitgeisty novel follows three women in one wealthy Brooklyn clan Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old money Stockton family, followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood but giving up far too much in the process; Sasha, a middle-class New England girl, has married into the Brooklyn Heights family, and finds herself cast as the arriviste outsider; and Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can�t have, and must decide what kind of person she wants to be. Rife with the indulgent pleasures of life among New York�s one-percenters, Pineapple Street is a smart, escapist novel that sparkles with wit. Full of recognizable, loveable�if fallible�characters, it�s about the peculiar unknowability of someone else�s family, the miles between the haves and have-nots, and the insanity of first love�all wrapped in a story that is a sheer delight.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Hccpsk
There’s really only one thing a reader needs to ask themselves before picking up Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson — do you want to read about rich New Yorkers? Yes, Jackson’s writing is tight and witty and she manages to weave some social justice themes in with the brunches, country clubs,
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and trust funds, but at its heart, Pineapple Street is well-executed “chick-lit.” The Stockton family represents old New York money with their club memberships, trust funds, and the family house on Pineapple Street. Jackson follows the Stockton daughters and the daughter-in-law as they struggle with marriage, motherhood, family drama, and careers with the added burden of wealth. The plot stumbles a bit with predictability and some timeline issues, but it moves quickly to make Pineapple Street an engaging beach or airplane read. Show Less
LibraryThing member ccayne
Funny and maddening at the same time, this is a fun read.
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
Character-driven story of an old-money family living in Brooklyn.
LibraryThing member maryreinert
Easy read set on Pineapple Street, a swanky part of Brooklyn Heights New York. Three siblings grew up in an ornate old mansion. Darley has two children and is married to a smart international aviation/finance business man. Cord is recently married to Sasha, a girl from a middle class background,
None of these people are particularly likeable, but they do seem believable in the sense that the "rich are different" from the normal folk. They follow the stereotypes and some parts of the book are actually funny. Then there are others that seem like "look at us poor rich folk who can trust no one." The ending is a bit too trite. Good beach read.
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and Georgiana, the youngest works for a international non-profit where she meets and has an affair with a man who she later finds out is married.None of these people are particularly likeable, but they do seem believable in the sense that the "rich are different" from the normal folk. They follow the stereotypes and some parts of the book are actually funny. Then there are others that seem like "look at us poor rich folk who can trust no one." The ending is a bit too trite. Good beach read.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Funny book but it is always difficult to feel sorry for the very rich. However, the total inability of some of the characters to even understand the issues was very funny. Badly edited as some things were repeated verbatim in various parts of the book.
LibraryThing member sblock
The trials and tribulations of the 1%. Highly recommended to anyone who has lived in New York, especially Brooklyn.
LibraryThing member mrsgrits
Cute and light with a little bit of 'real' themes as well. No matter your economic background, fitting into a new family after you get married usually has a little bit of growing pains for everyone. Thankfully, in this novel everyone grows together.
LibraryThing member rmarcin
This book is about those with wealth, outrageous wealth-millions and millions.
Darley marries for love, and gives up her job for her husband to work. But, when he loses his job, she wonders if she did the right thing. Sasha, has married into the family, and is called the GD for gold digger, but she
If you want an escape into a world of parties, extreme wealth, and the 1%, you will enjoy this. I liked the parts where characters decide to give their wealth away for the common good.
Darley marries for love, and gives up her job for her husband to work. But, when he loses his job, she wonders if she did the right thing. Sasha, has married into the family, and is called the GD for gold digger, but she
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truly loves her husband. Finally, Georgiana, falls in love with Brady, but their love, while true, is wrong. She is devastated when she finds the truth, and even more so when something happens, putting her in a tailspin. If you want an escape into a world of parties, extreme wealth, and the 1%, you will enjoy this. I liked the parts where characters decide to give their wealth away for the common good.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
This is the story of a family told through the eyes of three women. The Stockton family is wealthy, their money old and self-perpetuating. Georgiana is the youngest, with a job with a non-profit where she has a crush on one of her co-workers. Darley is married to a high-flying executive and they
I'm not going to claim that very wealthy people can't have problems. I am going to say that if you want me to care about their problems, you're going to have to work a lot harder to earn my sympathy. And Jackson did try to make me feel bad for the woman whose married lover died and she can't express her grief because the affair was a secret. And she tried to make me feel bad for the rich lady whose husband loses his job and she might have to ask for money from her parents. And I did feel for Sasha, dropped into that den of resentment with no support, except she did choose a guy who resolutely never stood up for her. I kept reading expecting something dramatic but the ending was rushed and the resolution unconvincing. Which would have been more disappointing had there ever been any stakes to the conflict.
This is definitely a reminder to me to slow down and learn more about a book before reading it.
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have two small children. Georgiana and Darley are united in their dislike for the third woman, Sasha, their brother's wife. Sasha came from an ordinary middle class background and is always tense about doing or saying or wearing the wrong thing. Her husband, a golden boy who is everyone's favorite, is no help. And they were given the family home, a large house in Brooklyn, which would be fine except it's clear that to the Stocktons, the house is still the family home that must not be changed, family members can walk in whenever and the two sisters are resentful of Sasha hinting that they should get their things out of their childhood bedrooms. I'm not going to claim that very wealthy people can't have problems. I am going to say that if you want me to care about their problems, you're going to have to work a lot harder to earn my sympathy. And Jackson did try to make me feel bad for the woman whose married lover died and she can't express her grief because the affair was a secret. And she tried to make me feel bad for the rich lady whose husband loses his job and she might have to ask for money from her parents. And I did feel for Sasha, dropped into that den of resentment with no support, except she did choose a guy who resolutely never stood up for her. I kept reading expecting something dramatic but the ending was rushed and the resolution unconvincing. Which would have been more disappointing had there ever been any stakes to the conflict.
This is definitely a reminder to me to slow down and learn more about a book before reading it.
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LibraryThing member froxgirl
This pleasant but irrelevant-to-anyone-but-worshippers-of-the-1% novel reminded me of the brilliant Laurie Colwin book Happy All The Time, except the characters in that one didn't make one nauseous. It's an easy and fun read, but the obscene Brooklyn Heights real estate wealth renders this comedy
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of manners not so funny. The story is told primarily by Sasha, who marries ultra-wealthy scion Cord, moves into his family mansion and is mistreated by them, to whom he swears fealty above his wife. His sisters Darley and Georgiana run into difficulties with a husband's layoff and a lover's death, and call Sasha "GD", gold digger, behind her back. Sasha's family is loving, middle-class, and from Rhode Island, to which the matriarch asks, "What was it like growing up poor?". She's a judgmental snob who shows very occasional flashes of humanity, when not being lauded by the author for her perfect legs and tennis game, at advanced middle age. There's a great deal of humor at the expense of the old money Stockton family, but the misplaced admiration still gleams through. PS - watch for the gender reveal. Show Less
LibraryThing member dawnlovesbooks
Welcome to the extravagant life on Pineapple Street, a novel that takes us into the ridiculous life of a wealthy and privileged dysfunctional family.
It examines family, class, and the power money has. At the same time, it is sharp and witty and it reveals little truths about life along the way. I
"Have you ever paused and wondered 'Am I actually a good person? Or am I moving through this world making things a little worse instead of better?" "Have you ever felt like you just couldn't keep going down the same path, and that you needed to stop and really evaluate what it meant to be a part of this planet? What it meant to be a good human?"
"You couldn't seek to fight inequality in the world while preserving it in your own family."
"She wanted for the first time in her life, to peel back her bitter rind and open up to the sweetness within."
"It's a big mistake we've been making as a family, only talking about things that make us comfortable. We need to talk about what life is actually like for most people."
It examines family, class, and the power money has. At the same time, it is sharp and witty and it reveals little truths about life along the way. I
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didn't really like any of these snobby, pretentious people at first, but they grow on you. They all seem to go through some sort of self-examination and realization to redeem themselves by the end of the book."Have you ever paused and wondered 'Am I actually a good person? Or am I moving through this world making things a little worse instead of better?" "Have you ever felt like you just couldn't keep going down the same path, and that you needed to stop and really evaluate what it meant to be a part of this planet? What it meant to be a good human?"
"You couldn't seek to fight inequality in the world while preserving it in your own family."
"She wanted for the first time in her life, to peel back her bitter rind and open up to the sweetness within."
"It's a big mistake we've been making as a family, only talking about things that make us comfortable. We need to talk about what life is actually like for most people."
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LibraryThing member LindaLoretz
Pineapple Street is a fascinating look at the upper-crust Stockton family. Their money is old money. They are self-pronounced typical WASPs and are not quite ready for their millennial children to question their values and long-proven lifestyle choices.
Tilda and Chip Stockton are the parents of
Darley is married to Malcolm, an Asian. Darley is confident in her husband's ability to provide for her and has therefore chosen to forego a career and her family inheritance since she didn't want to require Malcolm to sign a prenuptial agreement, which is commonplace and routine when someone marries into the Stockton family. She seems surprised that her children are targets of subtle Asian discrimination, even from her family.
Georgiana is the youngest and much younger than her siblings. She works at a nonprofit and realizes her values do not mesh with her family's. She is also uniquely sensitive to the subtle and overt biases inherent in many wealthy one-percenters. Georgiana grows influenced by some other millennials unwilling to perpetuate some cultural systems that have allowed families such as hers to enjoy their wealth.
The author masterfully creates an easy-to-read story that delves into American social classes, the politics of MONEY, and family secrets. Contemporary societal issues are addressed through the novel's events and dialog. It is thought-provoking, and its contents are many-layered. Even the title, although seemingly innocuously referring to an established fruit street in Brooklyn Heights, should give us pause. The book's text is, "Did you know that the pineapple symbolizes welcome and hospitality?" This follows: "We think of pineapples as this whimsical fruit, but they're actually a symbol of colonialism and imperialism."
Tilda and Chip Stockton are the parents of
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Darley, Cord, and Georgiana. Cord and his wife Sasha live in the family home in Brooklyn Heights in the prestigious fruit streets on Pineapple Street. Since Sasha is of middle-class roots and has far less status than the Stocktons, she is supposed to feel honored to keep everything decorated in the old classic way and maintain the childhood rooms of Cord's siblings precisely as they left them. Darley is married to Malcolm, an Asian. Darley is confident in her husband's ability to provide for her and has therefore chosen to forego a career and her family inheritance since she didn't want to require Malcolm to sign a prenuptial agreement, which is commonplace and routine when someone marries into the Stockton family. She seems surprised that her children are targets of subtle Asian discrimination, even from her family.
Georgiana is the youngest and much younger than her siblings. She works at a nonprofit and realizes her values do not mesh with her family's. She is also uniquely sensitive to the subtle and overt biases inherent in many wealthy one-percenters. Georgiana grows influenced by some other millennials unwilling to perpetuate some cultural systems that have allowed families such as hers to enjoy their wealth.
The author masterfully creates an easy-to-read story that delves into American social classes, the politics of MONEY, and family secrets. Contemporary societal issues are addressed through the novel's events and dialog. It is thought-provoking, and its contents are many-layered. Even the title, although seemingly innocuously referring to an established fruit street in Brooklyn Heights, should give us pause. The book's text is, "Did you know that the pineapple symbolizes welcome and hospitality?" This follows: "We think of pineapples as this whimsical fruit, but they're actually a symbol of colonialism and imperialism."
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LibraryThing member GeauxGetLit
4.5 ⭐️’s. Thank you to @PRHaudio for my complimentary audiobook.
I was able to listen to this book in one sitting as it was super fast paced. It was told from the two daughters, from an extremely rich wealthy family, and the new daughter in law, whom was raised middle class.
This wasn’t as
I was able to listen to this book in one sitting as it was super fast paced. It was told from the two daughters, from an extremely rich wealthy family, and the new daughter in law, whom was raised middle class.
This wasn’t as
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pretentious as most of the books you read about the uber rich and it showed that they had flawed views on reality from growing up wealthy. It was a realistic take (besides the money) on the flaws of a family and at the end of the day, family is family no matter what. Show Less
LibraryThing member pgchuis
I enjoyed this very much. It won me over with the story of the difficulties Darley got into trying to answer questions about what the tooth fairy did with all the teeth she collected. I have a similar story about trying to explain how Father Christmas would leave presents after our move to a house
This was funny and optimistic.
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without a chimney.This was funny and optimistic.
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
I thought this was a fun read about how the 1% live. A perfect beach read!
LibraryThing member kayanelson
This book got a lot of good press. In the end, I thought it was a beach read. The book tells the stories from three women’s viewpoints—2 rich sisters and their sister in law who married up. It focused on the meaning of white privilege and the sisters coming to the realization of how they took
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it for granted and how they wanted to do better. All in all, meh 🫤 Show Less
LibraryThing member mchwest
Loved this book! Reminded me of Marrying The Ketchups by Jennifer Close and Rules of Civility by Amor Towles ( probably because it's set in NYC). Great story of family history and strife, of which you have to want to be a part of. And who better to put out such a great book but a long time editor
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of books! More please Jenny! Show Less
LibraryThing member KatherineGregg
Pineapple Street is a novel about a wealthy family living in New York City. Pineapple Street is the family house where Cord and his wife Sasha (not a one-percenter) live. Darley has married a Korean American (also not a one-percenter but a successful financier) and has decided not to accept any
The book is about class differences, love, money, and is written with humour.
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family money (which works because Malcolm makes plenty of it). Georgiana, the baby in the family, has fallen madly in love with a married man at work. The book is about class differences, love, money, and is written with humour.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
A wealthy elitist Brooklyn family deals with complicated family dynamics. The three adult children and their spouses find themselves struggling in very different ways. The audio version was excellent. I loved that the characters show growth, recognizing their strengths (or lack thereof) and
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learning to speak up and communicate their needs with the family. It seems like many novels with a similar theme get trapped in descriptions of whiny behavior and have no forward momentum. This one worked for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member nivramkoorb
This book has very hyped and because of it was about the 1% wealthy living in Brooklyn Heights, I thought I would read it. It was an easy read of 300 pages. The story is told through 3 women who are part of. the ultra wealthy Stockton family. We have sisters Darley and Georgina and their sister in
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law Sasha newly married to Cord the brother. The dialogue is breezy and full of witty one liners. the characters are predictable. Georgina, the youngest at 26 works at a non-profit as one of her wealth might but still lives a very. upscale life. So does everyone in this novel. So if you are put off with a novel of the problems of the ultra wealthy, then you might skip it. Jackson does get in some social comments about the problems of income equality and does show that problems of the rich are so out touch with reality. Jackson tries to make the characters sympathetic but given their positions in the world, it was hard for me to get too engaged with the book. A good read after just finishing a much deeper and darker novel but overall not the type of book I would engage in as a steady diet. Show Less
LibraryThing member janismack
Good summer read about a rich family living it Brooklyn Heights. I found the caracters to be quircky and somewhat likable for rich people.
LibraryThing member bblum
Easy listening on a summer day. The Stockton family are old money built from real estate. The youngest Stocktons reared in privilege and well educated are starting families or for Georgina still trying to find herself in the non profit world and live. Sasha married into the family, husband Cord and
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the stilted Stockton parents gave them their old mansion on Pineapple Street Sasha hates it with all their old stuff that she must now keep. She struggles to fit into the clan but is viewed as a gold digger. Cord and Sasha together are a fun couple but Cord doesn’t recognize Sasha’s problems. Older sister Darly is married with children and has her own issues. Fun read as these siblings figure out how to be their own best selves. Show Less
LibraryThing member annbury
This story of life among upper crust New Yorkers is a long way from profound, and can get a bit preachy. But the story pulled me in and kept me reading -- interesting characters, gossipy detail, and intriguing plot twists. The ending is improbably neat, but getting there is a lot of fun.
LibraryThing member DKnight0918
I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more books by Jackson.
LibraryThing member creighley
Carley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old money Stockton family, followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood but giving far too much in the process. Sasha, a middle-class New England girl, has married into the Brooklyn Heights family, and finds herself cast as
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the arriviste outsider. Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can’t have and must decide what kind of person she wants to be. Not too much going on here…a shallow look at shallow people, privileged people. Show Less
Awards
NPR: Books We Love (2023)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction — 2023)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2023)
Denver Public Library Staff Picks for Adults (Fiction — 2023)
Language
Original publication date
2023 (US): 2023-04-13 (UK)