Goodreads Blurb
The Guest Book follows three generations of a powerful American family, a family that “used to run the world”.
And when the novel begins in 1935, they still do. Kitty and Ogden Milton appear to have everything—perfect children, good looks, a love everyone envies. But after a tragedy befalls them, Ogden tries to bring Kitty back to life by purchasing an island in Maine. That island, and its house, come to define and burnish the Milton family, year after year after year. And it is there that Kitty issues a refusal that will haunt her till the day she dies.
In 1959 a young Jewish man, Len Levy, will get a job in Ogden’s bank and earn the admiration of Ogden and one of his daughters, but the scorn of everyone else. Len’s best friend Reg Pauling has always been the only black man in the room—at Harvard, at work, and finally at the Miltons’ island in Maine.
An island that, at the dawn of the 21st century, this last generation doesn’t have the money to keep. When Kitty’s granddaughter hears that she and her cousins might be forced to sell it, and when her husband brings back disturbing evidence about her grandfather’s past, she realizes she is on the verge of finally understanding the silences that seemed to hover just below the surface of her family all her life.
An ambitious novel that weaves the American past with its present, The Guest Book looks at the racism and power that has been systemically embedded in the US for generations. Brimming with gorgeous writing and bitterly accurate social criticism, it is a literary tour de force.
My Review
This was a story that brought together three generations of secrets, privilege, guilt, power, sadness, death and family unity. Change is eminent, but accepting and working towards making a difference will be the only way to make a difference in this world.
I thought this story was very long and dragging. I didn’t like that each chapter was numbered instead of stating the time period, since it went back and forth between three generations. These characters truly annoyed me. They would keep talking about racism and how they treat everyone the same but they truly didn’t. Each character had their own view of the world depending on what was going on at that time.
This story had a lot to say, but I didn’t see the story evolve. When Len found the disturbing documents from Ogden, I truly believe he was going to tell Joan and everyone what terrible dealings Ogden did in order to keep his company afloat. Reg was the one character that saw everyone exactly for what they were. He wasn’t afraid to tell you how wrong you were and how your actions and or things you say are racist in nature. Moss was looking for what he was missing in his life and felt that having Reg to be seen as an equal and a friend he can make a difference. Evelyn was a spoiled brat who only thought about herself and always controlling Joan’s life. Joan disappointed me. She finally found love and because of one incident and embarrassment she chose her family instead of that mind tripping spark she felt every time she was with Len. The secrets she took to her grave were heart retching to forgive. Kitty went through two terrible experiences that no mother should ever go through. She tried to move on with her life but her heart was torn for her actions. Her pride was too important that she couldn’t see the horrors that the Jewish communities were going through. She could have saved a child but her pride got in the way.
The story ended abruptly with some unveiled secrets to the reader, but the characters still lived in their beautiful little world. Joan’s secret was never revealed to her daughter Evie. Evie took pride in being a Milton and that one kept secret would have torn her world apart. The Milton’s island will forever hold all their secrets. I rated 3 out of 5 stars.
Author Biography
Sarah is the author of the novels, Grange House, the bestselling The Postmistress, and The Guest Book forthcoming; a chapbook of poems, Full Turn, and the artist book Runaway Girls in collaboration with the artist Robin Kahn. She lives in Washington DC with her husband, the poet Joshua Weiner, their two sons, and a little white dog.
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