Two weeks in a remote island villa with America's most dysfunctional family - what could possibly go wrong? The Posts are going on their first family vacation in years, and it's going to be a special one:
Jim and Franny are taking their daughter Sylvia, son Bobby and his girlfriend, and Franny's best
friend Charles and his husband, all the way to Mallorca for two weeks of the sort of relaxation,
culture and cuisine that only Europe can offer. But there are problems. After a transgression with a twenty-three-year-old editorial assistant, Jim has been unceremoniously sacked from his job, and now his and Franny's marriage is on the rocks.
Charles and Lawrence are feeling divided over their future, Bobby is mired in debt problems and stuck in a relationship that's pulling in opposite directions and his girlfriend Carmen, super-fit personal trainer and, at forty-something, far too old for Bobby, seems to have realized her mistake. As for Sylvia, she's eighteen, about to go to college, and determined to lose her virginity before she gets there . . .
About the Author
Emma Straub lives in New York City and is the author of a short-story collection, Other People We Married and the novel Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures.
Industry Reviews
I loved Emma Straub's The Vacationers; funny, poignant and beautifully observed. -- Jojo Moyes, author of ME BEFORE YOU I would read anything Emma Straub writes. She's a natural talent and a gorgeous and witty storyteller. The characters will linger with me long into the future. -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of EAT, PRAY, LOVE Charming and absorbing, this is a novel that demands to be read in long, satisfying gulps. -- Maggie Shipstead, author of SEATING ARRANGEMENTS Witty, big-hearted, and packed with wisdom, The Vacationers is a breezy read that sneaks in its emotional wallops and leaves you smiling for days. -- Maria Semple, author of Orange Prize-shortlisted WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE? Now this is what I call good holiday reading. Straub writes beautifully and amusingly ... hard to beat for sheer charm and gentle wit. Daily Mail Straub's novel is cast from the same mould as the likes of Liza Klaussmann's Tigers in Red Weather and Maggie Shipstead's Seating Arrangements ... The Vacationers is a holiday read in every way with a gently witty narrative that slips down as easily as a beachside cocktail. Independent For those unable to jet off to a Spanish island this summer, reading The Vacationers may be the next-best thing. Straub's gorgeously written novel follows the Post family ... the island is brought to life irresistibly ... the novel's joy and humor are infectious. Straub may be an heir to Laurie Colwin, crafting characters that are smart, addictively charming, delightfully misanthropic and fun. Franny waxes on the pleasures of "being alone in the kitchen," and her passion for her children, for her friend Charles, for food, love and travel, illuminates the narrative. "Being in a foreign country made even the smallest differences seem like art," Straub observes. When I turned the last page, I felt as I often do when a vacation is over: grateful for the trip and mourning its end. New York Times A novel that is both a lot of fun to read and has plenty of insight into the marital bond and the human condition. Kirkus (starred review) Straub is telling in her observation, superb in her perception and awesome in her control of plot. She writes with a bleak, spare wit ... of her wonderfully drawn characters ... Brilliant Daily Mail A fun read - a delightful story with an even more delightful end. The Lady A gem of a smart beach read. Good Housekeeping
