Book Notes: debut novel is a family tell-all
November’s book, The Nest, a best-selling debut novel by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, stimulated much discussion. The title refers to a joint trust fund set up to benefit the Plumb family’s four siblings when the youngest turns 40. “The nest” could also be a metaphor for where the siblings have been hiding throughout their lives.
Years of tensions finally reach a breaking point on a cold afternoon in New York City as Melody (the youngest and about to turn 40), Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront Leo, their devil-may-care older brother, who, while intoxicated the previous summer, took a young waitress on a joyride in his Porsche, crashed the car, and left the waitress seriously injured. Leo’s just now out of drug rehab.
It’s Leo’s recklessness that has endangered the siblings’ joint trust fund, which their mother invaded to pay off the family of Leo’s young passenger. Meant by their deceased father to be a modest mid-life supplement, “the nest’s” value had soared along with the stock market and the siblings were counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems.
Melody sees “the nest” as college tuition for her teenage twin daughters and help with the mortgage on her suburban home. Jack needs it to pay back a loan against the beach cottage he and his husband own. Bea, an author unable to complete her long overdue novel, has spent all of her advance.
As the three needy siblings gradually come to realize they are responsible for their own lives, they begin to understand the importance of family and let go of their reliance on Leo, who escapes to the Caribbean. There was some debate about the ending of The Nest, but most members of the Book Club agreed it is happy.
—Becky Anderson and Kathryn Sedo, Book Club members
Book Club to discuss The Nest
Fri, Nov 16 2018, 2pm
The UMRA Book Club will meet at 2 p.m. on November 16 at 1666 Coffman. Kathryn Sedo will lead the discussion of The Nest, by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. Following the discussion, members of the club will select the books they will read and discuss in 2019. Look for the list in UMRA’s January newsletter. Contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected] for more information.
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.