The Brambles

March 6, 2006
Minot's graceful, candid novel about the meaning of adulthood and the depth of family attachment follows the three siblings of the titular clan as they face the consequences of their life choices. Margaret is an ambivalent mother of three who relinquished her autonomy and former identity as a hip New Yorker for a suburban life of carpools; Max, a new father, quit his job as an independent film producer but hides the truth from his wife by pretending to go to work every day; depressed, lonely 20-something Edie struggles with singlehood and a newly acquired eating disorder. Now, they must cope with their widowed father, Arthur, who moves into Margaret's home to suffer through the final stages of cancer. There is also the matter of a long-held family secret, revealed, of course, when they least expect it. Minot (Susan's sister and author of The Tiny One
) has a refreshing, contemporary voice, and even the most mundane moments—Edie talking to herself in the car, Margaret's daughter dancing on the lawn—contain surprising swells of emotion. As it turns out, the revealed secret is melodramatic and far-fetched, but this novel excels all the same, buoyed up by its quiet conflicts and small, gorgeous glimpses at truth. 40,000 announced first printing; author tour
.

April 1, 2006
With its warm portrayal of families and relationships and its unexpected plot twists, Minot's new novel (after "The Tiny One") will appeal to a range of fiction audiences. The three adult children of Arthur and Florence Bramble are struggling with their lives in the wake of their mother's death in a plane crash and their father's imminent death from cancer. Margaret, the oldest, at once wallowing in and relishing her life as wife and mother of three demanding children, has agreed to care for her father in her suburban New Jersey home. Sister Edie has a trendy television job in the city but is single, depressed, and bulimic. Their brother, Max, who looks amazingly like a certain B-list movie star, is hiding his unemployment from his fashion model wife, herself preoccupied with their new son. They sound self-absorbed (and they are), but Minot lures us along as these characters grow and share their insights on the frustration and shining moments of family life and come to terms with their parents' deaths. Yet Minot doesn't leave it at that: in a remarkable turn of events, the Bramble siblings learn a secret that shakes their assumptions about who they really are. A strong candidate for most collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ "3/1/06.]" -Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA"

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