Thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy.
A multi-generational family saga set against the backdrop of changing values and turbulent times.
Spanning WWII to just beyond present day this story is largely set in the mid-50s, told from Nick and Bets points of view, and the late 60s into the early 70s featuring their young adult children, Katherine and Harry. Their stories swirl around and return over and over to Last House, their family’s idyllic remote country home in the mountains of Vermont.
Through the Taylor family Last House explores the divide of the Silent Generation, those who experienced the Great Depression and fought in WWII, returning from war and settling into very traditional roles, and their children, the Baby Boomers shaped by the Civil Rights Movement, Rock and Roll music, the Vietnam war, and counterculture, those who rejected and challenged the traditional roles of prior generations.
It’s also a story about evolving ideology and features U.S. historical events and politics woven into the story. Nick is a lawyer for American Oil who rubs elbows with the CIA and is involved with Middle Eastern dealings, especially in Iran. Katherine is a journalist for a radial left NYC newspaper reporting on Vietnam War and Civil Rights protests of the day.
I found all of this nuanced and compelling, interestingly layered and incredibly relevant to today.
Recommended for fans of The Dutch House.
That Bookish Life 