The Last Romantics: A Novel by Tara Conklin

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

“Tara Conklin is a generous writer who deftly brings us into the world of this fictional family, an engrossing and vivid place where I was happy to stay. The Last Romantics is a richly observed novel, both ambitious and welcoming.” — Meg Wolitzer

The New York Times bestselling author of The House Girl explores the lives of four siblings in this ambitious and absorbing novel in the vein of Commonwealth and The Interestings.

“The greatest works of poetry, what makes each of us a poet, are the stories we tell about ourselves. We create them out of family and blood and friends and love and hate and what we’ve read and watched and witnessed. Longing and regret, illness, broken bones, broken hearts, achievements, money won and lost, palm readings and visions. We tell these stories until we believe them.”

When the renowned poet Fiona Skinner is asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work, The Love Poem, she tells her audience a story about her family and a betrayal that reverberates through time.

It begins in a big yellow house with a funeral, an iron poker, and a brief variation forever known as the Pause: a free and feral summer in a middle-class Connecticut town. Caught between the predictable life they once led and an uncertain future that stretches before them, the Skinner siblings—fierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden boy Joe and watchful Fiona—emerge from the Pause staunchly loyal and deeply connected.  Two decades later, the siblings find themselves once again confronted with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices they’ve made and ask what, exactly, they will do for love.

A sweeping yet intimate epic about one American family, The Last Romantics is an unforgettable exploration of the ties that bind us together, the responsibilities we embrace and the duties we resent, and how we can lose—and sometimes rescue—the ones we love. A novel that pierces the heart and lingers in the mind, it is also a beautiful meditation on the power of stories—how they navigate us through difficult times, help us understand the past, and point the way toward our future.

my thoughts:

Family dramas are my bag. I just love them to bits. I think because it helps to remind that I'm not alone and that every family has some form of dysfunction. Plus, I just love getting lost in these family's lives for a brief moment - its make for some fun reading. That's why I loved The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin. The story was fun, engaging, and chock full of family DRAMA.  My favorite!!

This is the story of the Skinner family.  Their father passes away and as a result, their mother stops caring for them completely - she can't cope and goes into "the pause" from her life and family.  So, these under-12s dig their heels and raise themselves.  They learn to help one another, rely on one another, and love each other.  Their bond is made.  Eventually, the mom comes out of "the pause" and the family moves forward - together as a unit.  And then, another family crises erupts and as adults we see them deal, handle, and endure it all. We see how this family copes and struggles. We see them fight, yell, love, and embrace one another. It is raw and real - family at its best and worst. And, I loved it all.

I would happily recommend The Last Romantics to fans of Conklin - you will fall in love with her writing and these characters. This book truly is a treat to read.

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Last Romantics

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!