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Meet the Newmans
A General Fiction Novel by Jennifer Niven
Subgenres:
- Historical Fiction,
- Family Saga,
- 1960s Los Angeles
This book is for you if you're into...
- Behind-the-scenes drama of a crumbling 1960s TV family
- Clashing perspectives on womanhood in midcentury America
- Nostalgic Los Angeles settings with secrets and shifting loyalties
From Little Stack
Los Angeles, 1964, a time when the States is still reeling from the death of JFK, in the midst of the fight for Civil Rights, and gripped by Beatlemania, there is a family you can rely on to be perfect and make the world feel right for half an hour each week.
The Newmans are America’s favourite family. They have played idealised versions of themselves on TV for twelve years but cracks are beginning to show. When patriarch Del is in a car crash, his wife, Dinah, hires journalist Juliet Dunn to help write their finale. But the women soon clash over what it means to be a woman in 1960s America.
Nostalgic, moving and addictive, this is one of those books that you can lose yourself in completely. It manages to feel lighthearted whilst tackling heavy topics, something that is a testament to the writing skills of the author. Perfect for anyone who wants a more lighthearted historical read.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Niven, a novel about America's favorite TV family, whose perfect façade cracks, for fans of Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America's Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it's 1964, and the Newmans' idealized apple-pie perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves.
Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb—literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and the charmed luck of rock 'n roll idol Shep may have finally run out.
When Del—the creative motor behind the show—is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken, impassioned young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964.
Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?
Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren't televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.
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