“Grandma, you want me to pay more attention to you? I thought I was just annoying.”

“You are annoying, Julian.”

And so begins the pandemic lockdown adventure of twenty-something Julian, who has chosen this exact time to pay a visit to Mamie Künstler --- his regal, entitled, eccentric 93-year-old grandmother --- and her dedicated housekeeper in Los Angeles. Sheltering in place for the New Yorker proves difficult, and his grandmother, in her own inimitable LA way, attempts to regale him with tales from her past to help him enjoy the time he will be spending with her. With her usual combination of humor and pathos, Cathleen Schine gives readers a gentle ride into the past of Mamie and the future of Julian.

"KÜNSTLERS IN PARADISE is going to be in a lot of beach bags this summer. It will offer something special and meaningful for readers of all ages. Everyone will understand and appreciate this thought-provoking story."

Schine excels at telling stories about families and loves a good exchange between those from different generations. Their conversations feel real, and the dialogue is funny and sparkling. When we are introduced to Julian’s father, Frank, there is yet another level of family interplay happening here. As the three of them talk via Zoom, their interactions pick up all the salient aspects of lockdown life: racial and political issues are discussed, and the revolution in the streets is addressed. It’s a bold move to give a true account of what people were doing and thinking at this time.

As Mamie talks about who she was, Julian thinks about the realities of his life and what will happen to him. In doing so, Schine gives readers a truly pertinent look at how Gen Z weathers the new world that has arrived with the pandemic. In his grandmother’s crumbling universe, Julian can see quite clearly why so much of what was important and considered to be set in stone is going away. The world is in a tumult, with change roaring towards those who have survived and could face down the poor policies and fascist attitudes of the past. Julian is making decisions that affect everyone of his generation.

Mamie is a pip; she is as nutty as any old Hollywood dame, but her stories have great depth. As Julian takes the time to listen to her, he begins to comprehend how every moment in our history is one that is rife with change. All generations have dealt with something for which they were not initially prepared. Even in Mamie’s stories about ice skating with Greta Garbo and playing tennis with the greats of her time, Julian begins to see that history has always been the same. There are the vaulted and the no-names, the celebrities and the regular folks. And somehow it all becomes a comfort to him in the end.

KÜNSTLERS IN PARADISE is going to be in a lot of beach bags this summer. It will offer something special and meaningful for readers of all ages. Everyone will understand and appreciate this thought-provoking story.