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Summary
Summary
Secrets shake up a New England family in this domestic drama from the author of Brand New Human Being .
Vance Lake is broke, jobless, and recently dumped. Taking refuge with his twin brother, Craig, on Cape Cod, he unwittingly finds himself in the middle of a crisis that would test even the most cohesive family, let alone the Lakes. Seventeen-year-old Amanda is pregnant. Craig is heartbroken and full of rage; his exasperated wife, Gina, is on the brink of an affair; and Amanda is indignant, ashamed, and very, very scared.
Told in alternating points of view by each member of this colorful New England clan, and infused with the quiet charm of the Cape in the off-season, The News from the End of the World follows one family into a crucible of pent-up resentments, old and new secrets, and memories long buried. Only by coming to terms with their pasts, as individuals and together, do they stand a chance of emerging intact.
"This one's a winner."-- People
"A beautifully crafted portrait of a Cape Cod family...I loved it."--Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
"My favorite kind of book, bighearted and full of complicated flawed characters stumbling through love and life, making hard choices, making mistakes, and making the reader fall in love with every one of them."--Ann Hood, author of The Book That Matters Most
"With wonderfully crafted characters and expert pacing, Miller has written the kind of narrative that readers crave: a beautifully written, hard-to-put-down story that will stay long after the book has been closed."-- Booklist
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Miller's immersive second novel covers four difficult days in the life of the Lake family on Cape Cod, Mass. With little explanation, the jobless, recently dumped Vance has come home to stay with his twin brother, Craig. Craig, sullen and angry, has his own problems to deal with-both financially and with his family. Craig's 17-year-old daughter from another relationship, Amanda, is unexpectedly home from a trip to South America but no one will tell Vance why. Used to a close relationship with his oldest niece, Vance is stunned and hurt by her sudden coldness. Craig's wife, Gina, usually the rock of the marriage, is struggling with her rebellious stepdaughter and has recently begun contemplating an affair. Only exuberant, talkative Helen, Vance's 10-year-old niece, and the baby, Cam, seem unaffected by the turmoil in the household. As the story unfolds, old resentments get tangled up with new secrets, and each member of the family stews over the burgeoning crises. The unique landscape of Cape Cod in the off-season sets the stage for Miller's poignant, fast-paced family drama. Told in alternating points of view, this gripping novel gets to the heart of familial trust, independence, and the struggle to overcome the past in order to forge a happier future. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Vance Lake is out of options. Broke, jobless, and kicked out by his girlfriend, he heads to Cape Cod to crash with his brother, Craig. But if Vance is hoping the peace and quiet of the Cape will help him sort out his problems, he's in for a surprise. The Lake household family members are awash in troubles of their own. Craig is struggling to keep his business financially afloat. His wife, Gina, is an overwhelmed mother of two young children and contemplating having an affair with Craig's best friend. And their 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. Miller's latest (after Brand New Human Being, 2013) takes readers through four emotional days in the life of this dysfunctional extended family, where old resentments, long-buried secrets, and treasured memories threaten to destroy the family. With wonderfully crafted characters and expert pacing, Miller has written the kind of narrative that readers crave: a beautifully written, hard-to-put-down story that will stay with readers long after the book has been closed.--Gladstein, Carol Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
All families have secrets, but the Lake family of Cape Cod seems to have more than most. Vance Lake asks his twin brother, Craig, for a place to stay after he does something so stupid that it costs him his job and his girlfriend. In the course of four days, Vance discovers that the rest of the family is a mess as well. His beloved 17-year-old niece Amanda is pregnant. Craig is furious and also in debt; Gina, Craig's second wife, is being tempted into an affair with her husband's best friend; and Craig and Gina's seven-year-old daughter, Helen, just wants to be loved. Narrated in brief chapters by the various family members, who regret past mistakes and look for ways to make life better, Miller's (Brand New Human Beings) second novel proves Leo Tolstoy's adage that all unhappy families are unhappy in different ways. Verdict Miller has created a quirky, relatable family. It is impossible to finish this book until everyone's issues are resolved, while hoping in the meantime that the resolutions will be positive.-Andrea Kempf, formerly with Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.