This is the story of the Skinner family Renee, Caroline, Joe, and Fiona. Their father passed away when they were pretty young. Their mother couldn't deal with the death of her husband and goes into a deep depression, known by her children as "the pause," which lasted for several years and through it all they were on their own.
Now in the year 2079, Fiona, a famous poet, is asked why the name Luna is in one of her most popular books of poetry. Is Luna real or just a name she used? Fiona now will tell the story behind the name, which means telling to story of her family. Fiona is the youngest and closest to Joe. Renee was the one who took over while their mom went through her pause period. Caroline was the sensitive one. What really held them all together was how much they all cared about Joe. As time went on, Joe became a great baseball player and he earned a scholarship to college. Caught up with partying, drinking and doing drugs, Joe is kicked off the team. His sisters keep this information from their mother, telling her had an injury. But things are set in motion during this time.
As grown-ups, they all have gone their separate ways, and while they all still care about Joe, his life continues to go downhill. Renee becomes a doctor and she thought she could help Joe. Caroline marries a boy from her old neighborhood and is a mother. Fiona starts out writing a blog of poetry and eventually becomes a celebrated poet. Fiona's blog was an account of her many sexual encounters. No boy understood why she was doing this, but she really didn't care. Each of the Skinner siblings had their faults, but once again when it came to Joe, they all felt he needed help.
Tara Conklin writes a story that goes from present to past times. THE LAST ROMANTICS is the kind of book where you fall in love with the characters from the beginning. And even though each of them has their own lives as they grow older, they come together when one of them truly needs their help. Conklin also shows how secrets will come out and sometimes they can really hurt a family. The story will suck you in - I found myself wondering what I would do in some the situations that come up throughout THE LAST ROMANTICS. So much happens, but I don't want to give too much away. Pick this one up, you won't be disappointed.
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.
"It is the strength and fragility of the siblings' bond, the
evolving nature of love that is at the core of Conklin's
novel....Gracefully rendered, The Last Romantics
focuses on the familiar theme of family with great
originality." -- Washington Post
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
siblingsβfierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden boy Joe
and watchful Fionaβemerge 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 loseβand
sometimes rescueβthe ones we love. A novel that pierces the
heart and lingers in the mind, it is also a beautiful
meditation on the power of storiesβhow they navigate us
through difficult times, help us understand the past, and
point the way toward our future.
No excerpt available.
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