All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg | Review

All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: October 22, 2019
Length: 3o4 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

Family members face their own individual reactions to the impending death of its patriarch, a cross between Tony Soprano and Tywin Lannister.

From the Publisher

“…Now that her father is on his deathbed, Alex—a strong-headed lawyer, devoted mother, and loving sister–feels she can finally unearth the secrets of who Victor is and what he did over the course of his life and career. (A power-hungry real estate developer, he is, by all accounts, a bad man.) She travels to New Orleans to be with her family, but mostly to interrogate her tightlipped mother, Barbra…Dysfunction is at its peak. As each family member grapples with Victor’s history, they must figure out a way to move forward—with one another, for themselves, and for the sake of their children.”

The Draw

• Attenberg’s last book, All Grown Up (my review) was great.
• A family full of secrets and lies
• Described as “dysfunction at its peak.” Yay!

{My Thoughts}

2019 has been a year of many amazing family drama novels. From The Last Romantics, to Ask Again, Yes, to Mrs. Everything, to The Most Fun We Ever Had, to The Dearly Beloved, to The Dutch House family dysfunction has been thoroughly and wonderfully covered. But, when it comes to family dysfunction, there’s always room for a different take and that’s exactly what Jami Attenberg delivers in her new novel All This Could Be Yours.

As Victor Tuchman lies dying in a hospital bed his entire family is reluctant to gather round. Victor was never a good husband, never a good father, but that’s usual. Victor was much more. He was a bad man, and though the family didn’t talk about it, they all lived it. Daughter, Alex travels to New Orleans to “make peace” with her father, but all she really wants is answers from her mother.

“Things had shifted, things were in motion; a long-iced-over river thawed inside her, and the rapids were running. Now, though she would never utter it to anyone, Alex couldn’t wait until her father died, so that at last she could learn the truth about him.”

Alex’s brother, out of town as his father begins to fail, just can’t seem to motivate himself to go home. And his wife, Twyla, is a hot mess and the only one shedding any tears at all for Victor. And then there’s Barbra, Victor’s long-suffering wife, ever-disengaged mother, and obsessive re-decorator.

Over the course of a few hot summer days in New Orleans, Attenberg takes her readers into the dark world of Victor Tuchman and how he affected his family. It’s definitely dark and won’t be for everyone, but the story is told in an over-the-top style that adds a lot of levity. The uniquely dark angle in All This Could Be Yours provides the perfect end cap to a great year of family dysfunction. Grade: B+

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett – These two books are similar in that both highlight an affectionate older sister – younger brother relationship. (my review)
• The Distance Home by Paula Saunders – The story of a dysfunctional South Dakota family battling to find ways to love each other. (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.