The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

 

There are four Skinner children.  Renee is the oldest; fierce and a second mother to her siblings.  Caroline is next, a sensitive girl who seems to gravitate towards society's perception of womanhood.  Joe is the golden boy; a born athlete whose skills gain him popularity and automatic acceptance wherever he goes.  Fiona is the youngest, closest to Joe who she looks to for protection.  The children are forced to be innovative and look after themselves when their father dies unexpectedly and their mother falls apart for a year or more.  She lies in her bedroom, leaving the children to grow up however they will.

Adulthood finds the four separated.  Renee has become a doctor, not sure if a man fits into her goal-oriented world.  Caroline married her high school sweetheart early and now has a houseful of kids and a big house in the suburbs.   Joe is in finance as his college connections have gained him a successful job as easily as everything else in his life.  Fiona has blossomed from a chunky girl to a gorgeous young woman and is happily playing the field and writing about her experiences.  When the four siblings are faced with a tragedy, they must come back together and find a new way to relate to each other and to move forward in their adult lives. 

This book received a lot of buzz with raves by Goodreads, Lithub, the New York Times and others.  It is a departure from Conklin's first novel which was a historical fiction.  This novel explores the concept of family and sibling relationships and how our first families shape us and support us for life.  Readers will be able to instantly relate to one of the Skinner children as each is an archetype played out in many families giving them familiarity.  This book is recommended for readers of women's and literary fiction,