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This Is Not About Us

About the Book

This Is Not About Us

A kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family --- steadfast, complicated, begrudging and loving --- from the bestselling author of ISOLA.

Was this just a brief skirmish, or the beginning of a 30-year feud? In the Rubinstein family, it could go either way.

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives --- divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals --- their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.

With THIS IS NOT ABOUT US, master storyteller Allegra Goodman --- whose prior collection was heralded as “one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life” (The Boston Globe) --- returns to the form and subject that endeared her to legions of readers. Sharply observed and laced with humor, THIS IS NOT ABOUT US is a story of growing up and growing old, the weight of parental expectations, and the complex connection between sisters --- a big-hearted book about the love that binds a family across generations.

This Is Not About Us
by Allegra Goodman

  • Publication Date: February 10, 2026
  • Genres: Fiction
  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: The Dial Press
  • ISBN-10: 0593447840
  • ISBN-13: 9780593447840