The Family Markowitz

by Goodman; Hamilton

• ISBN13: 9780374529390
• ISBN10: 0374529396
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-22
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Summary

"The Family Markowitzis one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life to have come our way in quite a while." --Linda Matchan,Boston Globe InThe Family Markowitz, Allegra Goodman writes with wit and compassion of three generations of Markowitzes making their way in America. At the center is Rose, the cantankerous matriarch, who longs for her earlier life in London and Vienna but is now forced into dependency on her sons Ed, an academic expert on terrorism (ahead of his time!), and Henry, an artistic expatriate with a taste for antiques and postmodern poetry. Also in the family circle are Sarah, Ed's wife, who teaches creative writing and longs for a more literary life, and Sarah and Ed's daughter Miriam, a medical student who causes great alarm in her largely assimilated family by rediscovering Judaism. Through her sharp-eyed observations of weddings, hospital vigils, holiday dinners, and other rituals of family life, Goodman writes about the Markowitzes from the inside, bringing each character to life. Allegra Goodman'swork has appeared inThe New Yorker, Allure, Commentary, andSlate. She is the recipient of a Whiting Award and theSalonmagazine award for fiction. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts. InThe Family Markowitz, Allegra Goodman writes with wit and compassion of three generations of Markowitzes making their way in America. At the center is Rose, the cantankerous matriarch, who longs for her earlier life in London and Vienna but is now forced into dependency on her sons Ed, an academic expert on terrorism, and Henry, an artistic expatriate with a taste for antiques and postmodern poetry. Also in the family circle are Sarah, Ed's wife, who teaches creative writing and longs for a more literary life, and Sarah and Ed's daughter Miriam, a medical student who causes great alarm in her largely assimilated family by rediscovering Judaism. Through her sharp-eyed observations of weddings, hospital vigils, holiday dinners, and other rituals of family life, Goodman writes about the Markowitzes from the inside, bringing each character to life. "Exceptionally well-written: funny and wise and keenly observed . . . One of the most engaging, maddening, and recognizable families to come along in years . . . An enchanting book."Michiko Kakutani,The New York Times "Deft and affectionate . . . Goodman is brilliant at capturing the clutter of both interior and exterior life."Naomi Glauberman,Los Angeles Times "The Family Markowitzis a revelation . . . Goodman's prose has a steady, silent reserve that always indicates she has better things on her mind."Dwight Garner,Salon "The Family Markowitzis one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life to have come our way in quite a while."Linda Matchan,The Boston Globe

Author Biography

Allegra Goodman's work has appeared in The New Yorker, Allure, Commentary, and Slate. She is the recipient of a Whiting Award and the Salon magazine award for fiction. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Introduction by Jane Hamilton	ix
Fannie Mae	3	(25)
The Art Biz	28	(17)
Oral History	45	(27)
The Wedding of Henry Markowitz	72	(28)
Mosquitoes	100	(38)
Fantasy Rose	138	(22)
The Persians	160	(23)
The Four Questions	183	(25)
Sarah	208	(26)
One Down	234