Synopses & Reviews
"
The Family Markowitz is one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life to have come our way in quite a while." --Linda Matchan,
Boston GlobeIn The Family Markowitz, Allegra Goodman writes with wit and compassion of three generations of Markowitzes making their way in America. At the center is Rose, the cantankerous matriarch, who longs for her earlier life in London and Vienna but is now forced into dependency on her sons Ed, an academic expert on terrorism (ahead of his time!), and Henry, an artistic expatriate with a taste for antiques and postmodern poetry. Also in the family circle are Sarah, Ed's wife, who teaches creative writing and longs for a more literary life, and Sarah and Ed's daughter Miriam, a medical student who causes great alarm in her largely assimilated family by rediscovering Judaism.
Through her sharp-eyed observations of weddings, hospital vigils, holiday dinners, and other rituals of family life, Goodman writes about the Markowitzes from the inside, bringing each character to life.
Allegra Goodman's work has appeared in The New Yorker, Allure, Commentary, and Slate. She is the recipient of a Whiting Award and the Salon magazine award for fiction. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In The Family Markowitz, Allegra Goodman writes with wit and compassion of three generations of Markowitzes making their way in America. At the center is Rose, the cantankerous matriarch, who longs for her earlier life in London and Vienna but is now forced into dependency on her sons Ed, an academic expert on terrorism, and Henry, an artistic expatriate with a taste for antiques and postmodern poetry. Also in the family circle are Sarah, Ed's wife, who teaches creative writing and longs for a more literary life, and Sarah and Ed's daughter Miriam, a medical student who causes great alarm in her largely assimilated family by rediscovering Judaism.
Through her sharp-eyed observations of weddings, hospital vigils, holiday dinners, and other rituals of family life, Goodman writes about the Markowitzes from the inside, bringing each character to life. "Exceptionally well-written: funny and wise and keenly observed . . . One of the most engaging, maddening, and recognizable families to come along in years . . . An enchanting book."Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
"Deft and affectionate . . . Goodman is brilliant at capturing the clutter of both interior and exterior life."Naomi Glauberman, Los Angeles Times
"The Family Markowitz is a revelation . . . Goodman's prose has a steady, silent reserve that always indicates she has better things on her mind."Dwight Garner, Salon "The Family Markowitz is one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life to have come our way in quite a while."Linda Matchan, The Boston Globe
Review
"Exceptionally well-written: funny and wise and keenly observed . . . One of the most engaging, maddening and recognizable families to come along in years . . . An enchanting book." --Michiko Kakutani,
The New York Times"Deft and affectionate . . . Goodman is brilliant at capturing the clutter of both interior and exterior life." --Naomi Glauberman, Los Angeles Times
"The Family Markowitz is a revelation . . . Goodman's prose has a steady, silent reserve that always indicates she has better things on her mind." --Dwight Garner, Salon
Synopsis
"
The Family Markowitz is one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life to have come our way in quite a while." --Linda Matchan,
Boston GlobeIn The Family Markowitz, Allegra Goodman writes with wit and compassion of three generations of Markowitzes making their way in America. At the center is Rose, the cantankerous matriarch, who longs for her earlier life in London and Vienna but is now forced into dependency on her sons Ed, an academic expert on terrorism (ahead of his time!), and Henry, an artistic expatriate with a taste for antiques and postmodern poetry. Also in the family circle are Sarah, Ed's wife, who teaches creative writing and longs for a more literary life, and Sarah and Ed's daughter Miriam, a medical student who causes great alarm in her largely assimilated family by rediscovering Judaism.
Through her sharp-eyed observations of weddings, hospital vigils, holiday dinners, and other rituals of family life, Goodman writes about the Markowitzes from the inside, bringing each character to life.
About the Author
Allegra Goodman's work has appeared in
The New Yorker, Allure, Commentary, and
Slate. She is the recipient of a Whiting Award and the Salon magazine award for fiction. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts.