Synopses & Reviews
After the Fall introduces us to a brilliantly eccentric family from New York’s Upper East Side. Pops, a self-made millionaire, is a mad inventor who gleans his inspiration from popovers and Raquel Welsh. Mother is a fabulously dressed but mercurial socialite from Buenos Aires whose weapon of choice is a croquet mallet. Young Alan, our earnest and studious narrator, and his drama-queen little sister, Alex, love their parents but must turn to their good-natured housekeeper and cook for a better sense of reality.
One fateful day, Alan returns home to find that the family has gone bust, not even a penny to be found. The next morning, to the children’s surprise, the family wakes up in Central Park along with the entire contents of their penthouse arranged just as before—art, furniture, pugs, and all. Aided by their two loyal housekeepers and fed by the maitre d’ from their favorite restaurant, the family makes Central Park into a comfortable and creative home.
But soon the strains of life—and the weather, which is getting chilly—threaten to tear apart the parents’ marriage. As the holiday season approaches, the children rise to the challenge of bringing their family back together.
With more than two hundred drawings and featuring kimono-clad squirrels and a visit by a Yeti, this delicious tale is a love letter to family, creativity, and New York.
Review
" is one of a kind. With her distinctive, intelligent drawings and tongue-in-cheek humor, legendary cartoonist Victoria Roberts has crafted a delightfully quirky coming-of-age fantasy for adults. I couldn't put it down." Patricia Bosworth, Vanity Fair Contributing Editor and author of Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman
Review
"After the Fall is a strange and delightful story about a very unusual family who must make their home in Central Park after losing all their money. Victoria Roberts' charming and detail-filled drawings bring the family, and the story, to life." Roz Chast
Review
"Victoria Roberts is wonderful! And so is her madcap journey through the ups and downs of today's New York. is written and illustrated with all the wit and irrepressible glee that makes her cartoons such a treat." Kevin Baker, author of Strivers Row, Dreamland, and Paradise Alley
Review
"A total delight." Roz Chast, author of What I Hate
Review
"Mad, brilliant, stunning and hilarious...I simply adore it!" Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files
Review
"[A] loopy, charming fantasy... Part graphic novel, part extended cartoon, is more surreal than social realism.... With its echoes of Salinger's Glass family, as well as any in a Wes Anderson film, Alan's eccentric clan is memorably strange and winning...." Kate Tuttle
Synopsis
A picture book for adults by beloved New Yorker cartoonist Victoria Roberts.
Synopsis
This whimsical novel introduces us to a quirky Upper East Side family: Pops is a mad inventor; Mother a well-intentioned if flighty socialite; young Sis a tiny, madcap theater impresario; and the narrator, her earnest, sweet brother Alan. One day, Pops’s inventions falter and this lovably eccentric family loses every penny. They wake up to find that they and the entire contents of their penthouse have been transported to Central Park. Aided by their two loyal housekeepers and fed by the maitre d’ from their favorite restaurant, the family makes Central Park into a surprisingly comfortable home. But soon the strains of life—and weather—tear apart the parents’ relationship. As Christmas approaches, the children must find a way to reunite them. With kimono-clad squirrels and a visit by a Yeti, this delicious tale is a love letter to family, creativity, and New York.
Synopsis
"This is a wonderful, forever book." --George Booth, cartoonist for
Synopsis
introduces us to a brilliantly eccentric family from New York's Upper East Side. Pops, a self-made millionaire, is a mad inventor who gleans his inspiration from popovers and Raquel Welsh. Mother is a fabulously dressed but mercurial socialite from Buenos Aires whose weapon of choice is a croquet mallet. Young Alan, our earnest and studious narrator, and his drama-queen little sister, Alex, love their parents but must turn to their good-natured housekeeper and cook for a better sense of reality.
About the Author
Victoria Roberts has been a cartoonist for The New Yorker since 1988. She also creates illustrations for the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Time, among many other publications. She lives in New York.