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Available
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Publication
Canongate Books (2018), Edition: Main, 320 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member nancyadair
The Grossmans are "an archetypal leftist family." Ben Grossman's socialist politics becomes a liability in 1953 when Senator McCarthy is targeting 'communist sympathizers.' It was time for him to leave his job in the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Ben had dreamed of being a writer, but
His wife, Addie, however, longs for the excitement of the city. She gave up enough for her marriage and hardly remembers who she was. She never bargained for the sterility and conformity of the suburban desert. Ben and Addie's marriage has been coming apart for a long time, and this decision is one more indication of the disintegration.
Ben and Addie and the kids move in with Ben's folks while they find housing
Ben's dad tells his grandkids stories of the Cossacks driving his family to find shelter in America. To make ends met, he built a business selling knock-off fashion apparel. Facing heart problems, he wants out, but it comes at a price.
A Long Island Story is a study of a family in crisis, caught in a time when people's "insatiable need for someone to blame" and have a craving for "something to fear and a leader to protect them from it." Addie thinks, "The next thing you knew one of them would be in the White House, as good old H. L. Mencken had predicted thirty years ago: a moron."
Ben must decide on what he really values. Addie must decide what she is willing to give up. And their children must learn to walk the narrow line between personal values and societal demands.
Author Rick Gekoski was inspired by his own family story, based on his childhood memories, liberally fictionalized.
I enjoyed the detailed description of the time, but this is not historical fiction as much as the story of a marriage. The novel is character-driven with psychological insight.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
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with a wife and children to support, his option is to pass the New York State bar and open a law practice. Long Island, NY is burgeoning with post-war housing in suburban communities, the perfect place to start his practice. His wife, Addie, however, longs for the excitement of the city. She gave up enough for her marriage and hardly remembers who she was. She never bargained for the sterility and conformity of the suburban desert. Ben and Addie's marriage has been coming apart for a long time, and this decision is one more indication of the disintegration.
Ben and Addie and the kids move in with Ben's folks while they find housing
Ben's dad tells his grandkids stories of the Cossacks driving his family to find shelter in America. To make ends met, he built a business selling knock-off fashion apparel. Facing heart problems, he wants out, but it comes at a price.
A Long Island Story is a study of a family in crisis, caught in a time when people's "insatiable need for someone to blame" and have a craving for "something to fear and a leader to protect them from it." Addie thinks, "The next thing you knew one of them would be in the White House, as good old H. L. Mencken had predicted thirty years ago: a moron."
Ben must decide on what he really values. Addie must decide what she is willing to give up. And their children must learn to walk the narrow line between personal values and societal demands.
Author Rick Gekoski was inspired by his own family story, based on his childhood memories, liberally fictionalized.
I enjoyed the detailed description of the time, but this is not historical fiction as much as the story of a marriage. The novel is character-driven with psychological insight.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
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Language
Original language
English
Physical description
320 p.; 5.75 inches
ISBN
1786893428 / 9781786893420