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"Stunning... An intricately satisfying story about love and understanding that is full of both nostalgia and surprising optimism." —Kirkus Reviews
"A propulsive and endearing debut." —J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest
A formidable matriarch learns the hard way that no family is perfect in this witty, sparkling debut novel
Dearest loved ones, far and near—evergreen tidings from the Baumgartners!
Violet Baumgartner has opened her annual holiday letter the same way for the past three decades. And this year she's going to throw her husband, Ed, a truly perfect retirement party, one worthy of memorializing in her upcoming letter. But the event becomes a disaster when, in front of two hundred guests, Violet learns her daughter Cerise has been keeping a shocking secret from her, shattering Violet's carefully constructed world.
In an epic battle of wills, Violet goes to increasing lengths to wrest back control of her family, infuriating Cerise and snaring their family and friends in a very un-Midwestern, un-Baumgartner gyre of dramatics. And there will be no explaining away the consequences in this year's Baumgartner holiday letter...
Full of humor, emotion and surprises at every turn, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners brings to life a remarkable cast of quirky, deeply human characters who must learn to adapt to the unconventional, or else risk losing one another. This is the story of a family falling to pieces—and the unexpected way they put it all back together.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
October 16, 2018 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781488205286
- File size: 298253 KB
- Duration: 10:21:21
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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July 2, 2018
Anthony’s enjoyable debut depicts the dysfunctional, touchingly flawed Baumgartner family of St. Paul, Minn. As Violet Baumgartner sits down to write her annual Christmas letter, she thinks back on 2017, a year in which most of the excitement comes from her husband Edward’s retirement party, where a family friend, Kyle, reveals that Violet’s daughter, Cerise, is pregnant in front of the hundreds of guests. Thirty-year-old Cerise is a lesbian, and her desire to keep the identity of the father a secret sparks rampant gossip. Soon after the party, Violet collapses over the stress of the event and, during her convalesce, Cerise begins to get closer to her mother. But having her daughter around the family more doesn’t fix Violet’s concerns. Meanwhile, Violet begins to realize that her perfect image of the family might have been distorted, and the truth might be more beautiful than her carefully constructed facade. Anthony playfully uses different point of views to reveal many perspectives on the family, and the interspersing of Christmas cards from years past and news clippings adds texture. Although a subplot involving Kyle and his fiancée is left frustratingly incomplete, the evolution of Violet and Cerise’s relationship satisfyingly leads to the revelation of long-held secrets. Anthony paints a complex portrait of a matriarch struggling to give up control over her daughter’s life, and strengthening her family in the process. -
September 15, 2018
Blithely penning her annual holiday letter while planning her husband's retirement party, Violet is in for a surprise: daughter Cerise uses the event to announce before 200 guests that she and partner Barb are having a baby. A debut from ScaryMommy.com humorist Anthony; with a booming 100,000-copy first printing.
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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