Editorial Content for Fun for the Whole Family
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Reviewer (text)
When the Endicott siblings were kids, their lives were nothing if not chaotic. Their mom, Frankie, left the family when they were still young, and their dad had to work extra hard to provide for the four children on his own. As a result, the Endicotts grew almost inseparable. Oldest sister Gemma became a de facto mother figure to her younger siblings. Connor retreated into his books and writing. The twins, Roddy and Jude, seemed so close they practically could be one person.
Every year, Frankie would come back into their lives for a few short weeks, just long enough to whisk the four kids off on an epic road trip. Those manic excursions disrupted Gemma's carefully guarded routines and were frightening in many ways. But they did result in some of their most vivid and enduring memories.
"Jennifer E. Smith's second novel for adults...is a hopeful, bittersweet ode to family and forgiveness. She utilizes short chapters and changing points of view to give readers glimpses into each character's past and present..."
Of course, they also led to some major meltdowns, including one particularly terrifying incident that caused a final estrangement from their mother, just a few short years before her untimely death. Though the siblings stayed ever closer as they became young adults, they went on to have an even more epic argument years later, when they were all grown up.
Now three years have passed without them seeing one another. They're all busy and living in different parts of the country when they receive a cryptic text message from Jude, summoning them to a tiny town in North Dakota for a weekend getaway. At first, Gemma, Connor and Roddy think that perhaps Jude is on the verge of completing the goal they shared as children: to visit all 50 states. Is North Dakota the last state she needs to check off?
None of them really wants to drop everything and head to North Dakota in February. For one thing, they're all experiencing some kind of crisis in their personal lives. After years of mothering her younger siblings, Gemma, who has been ambivalent about having a child of her own, is about to find out if the latest round of fertility treatments has finally worked. Roddy, a grudgingly retired soccer player, is just days away from marrying his fiancé, Winston, when he gets a last-chance offer to play one more season for a team in Florida. Connor is recently divorced, living in Nashville, and nursing a bad case of writers' block after receiving the National Book Award for the novel that was a thinly veiled recounting of the siblings' youth.
Even Jude, a Hollywood star who has just been nominated for her first Oscar, wouldn't seem to have time for a spur-of-the-moment trip to an out-of-the-way state. So what's going on?
Needless to say, all the siblings manage to make their way to North Dakota in the hopes of reconciliation. They promptly get caught in a snowstorm and wind up stuck whether they like it or not. Along the way, they are forced to reckon with some of the unresolved issues from their past. Secrets are revealed, confessions are made, and even when the heartbreaking truth comes out, at least they are moving toward a place of healing.
Jennifer E. Smith's second novel for adults (following THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES) is a hopeful, bittersweet ode to family and forgiveness. She utilizes short chapters and changing points of view to give readers glimpses into each character's past and present, and gradually paints a comprehensive portrait of them as individuals and their collective family history. Once readers get over the seemingly far-fetched premise of a professional athlete, an award-winning novelist, and a massively famous actress all coming from the same chaotic clan, they'll get drawn into their stories and hope for them to find their way back to being a family.
Teaser
The four Endicott siblings were once inseparable, a bond created by the absence of their dazzling, mercurial mother, who would return for a few weeks each summer to whisk them off on sprawling road trips around the country. Decades later, the unthinkable has happened: the Endicotts haven’t spoken in years…until an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. Each sibling is at a crossroads, though Jude is the only Endicott who seems to have it all together. But appearances can be deceiving. As the weekend unfolds, and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover that Jude has been keeping three secrets…each of which could change everything.
Promo
The four Endicott siblings were once inseparable, a bond created by the absence of their dazzling, mercurial mother, who would return for a few weeks each summer to whisk them off on sprawling road trips around the country. Decades later, the unthinkable has happened: the Endicotts haven’t spoken in years…until an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. Each sibling is at a crossroads, though Jude is the only Endicott who seems to have it all together. But appearances can be deceiving. As the weekend unfolds, and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover that Jude has been keeping three secrets…each of which could change everything.
About the Book
A breathtaking, joy-filled novel about the people we love, the secrets we keep, and the enduring power of family, from the bestselling author of THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES.
The four Endicott siblings --- Gemma, Connor, Roddy and Jude --- were once inseparable, a bond created by the absence of their dazzling, mercurial mother, who would return for a few weeks each summer to whisk them off on sprawling road trips around the country.
Decades later, the unthinkable has happened: the Endicotts haven’t spoken in years...until an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. They’re each at a crossroads: Gemma, who put her own ambitions aside to raise the others, now isn’t sure if she wants to be a mother herself; Connor, a celebrated novelist, is floundering after his recent divorce and suffering from an epic case of writer’s block; and Roddy, at the tail end of a professional soccer career, is dangerously close to losing his future husband for the chance at one last season.
Jude is the only Endicott who seems to have it all together --- but appearances can be deceiving. As the weekend unfolds and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover that Jude has been keeping three secrets...each of which could change everything.
A captivating journey and an ode to forgiveness that takes readers across all 50 states, FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY brims with heart and resonates long after the final page.
Audiobook available, read by Lauren Graham
