Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2017
304 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A beautifully written novel about love, class differences, and betrayal playing out over the course of a fractured American family's Long Island summer.
Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they've shared almost everything - reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they've never met.
Sasha's dad was once married to Ray's mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families - and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.
The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control ... or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love.
"Starred Review. Both funny and tragic, this sharply observed drama recognizes the complexity of split families trying to heal and the ill effects of longstanding grudges. Brashares's masterful orchestration of plot, multidimensional characters, and intriguing subplots will delight her fans and newcomers alike." - Publishers Weekly
"The large cast of angst-y characters with their equally daunting number of angst-y issues impedes deep exploration of any particular character or idea." - Kirkus
"A priority purchase for most collections serving teens." - School Library Journal
"Introspective questions of heritage are tied together, ultimately, by the bonds of family and the magic of summer." - Booklist
"A gorgeously written novel on love, loss and family." - Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything
This information about The Whole Thing Together was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Peter Freed
Ann Brashares grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland with
her three brothers and attended a Quaker school in the DC area called Sidwell
Friends. She studied Philosophy at Barnard College, part of Columbia University
in New York City. Expecting to continue studying philosophy in graduate school,
Ann took a year off after college to work as an editor, hoping to save money for
school. Loving her job, she never went to graduate school, and instead, remained
in New York City and worked as an editor for many years. Ann made the transition
from editor to full-time writer with her first novel, The Sisterhood of the
Traveling Pants.
When asked where the idea for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants came
from she replies:
"It started with a conversation. A woman I used to work...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Ann Brashares's Website
Name Pronunciation
Ann Brashares: br-shares
The Stone Home
by Crystal Hana Kim
A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
