This Is Where I Leave You

Overview

The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family--including Judd's mother, brothers, and sister--have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd's wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd's radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public.

Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch's dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.

As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it's a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family. All of which would be hard enough without the bomb Jen dropped the day Judd's father died: She's pregnant.

This Is Where I Leave You is Jonathan Tropper's most accomplished work to date, a riotously funny, emotionally raw novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind--whether we like it or not.

Editorial Reviews

Tropper returns with a snappy and heartfelt family drama/belated coming-of-age story. Judd Foxman's wife, Jen, has left him for his boss, a Howard Stern-like radio personality, but it is the death of his father and the week of sitting shivah with his enjoyably dysfunctional family that motivates him. Jen's announcement of her pregnancy--doubly tragic because of a previous miscarriage--is followed by the dramas of Judd's siblings: his sister, Wendy, is stuck in an emotionless marriage; brother Paul--always Judd's defender--and his wife struggle with infertility; and the charming youngest, Phillip, attempts a grown-up relationship that only highlights his rakishness. Presided over by their mother, a celebrated parenting expert despite her children's difficulties, the mourning period brings each of the family members to unexpected epiphanies about their own lives and each other. The family's interactions are sharp, raw and often laugh-out-loud funny, and Judd's narration is unflinching, occasionally lewd and very keen. Tropper strikes an excellent balance between the family history and its present-day fallout, proving his ability to create touchingly human characters and a deliciously page-turning story. (Aug.)
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Author Information

Bio of Jonathan Tropper

Jonathan Tropper is the author of Everything Changes, The Book of Joe, which was a Book Sense selection, and Plan B. He lives with his wife, Elizabeth, and their children in Westchester, New York, where he teaches writing at Manhattanville College. How to Talk to a Widower was optioned by Paramount Pictures, and Everything Changes and The Book of Joe are also in development as feature films.

Customer Reviews

• An Amazing Read

  Posted November 17, 2009 by fourthwhite, Charlotte

  I just finished this book and now want to read all of the author's others as soon as possible. I have not had this much enjoyment from a book in a very long time. I found so many parts of this wonderful story absolutely hilarious (I never do this, but in this book I actually laughed out loud several times) and yet I could really see them happening. Then, suddenly I was deeply moved. Reading this book was so much like watching a really great movie with a perfect cast and I got so swept up in it. I am recommending this book to all of my friends...and to you! You will NOT be disappointed!

Additional Info

Imprint

Penguin

Filesize

1.43 MB

Number of Pages

352

eBook ISBN

9781101107904