The Latecomer
Fiction
Celadon Books
May 31, 2022
Advance reader copy
448
Free from publisher
The Latecomer follows the story of the wealthy, New York City-based Oppenheimer family, from the first meeting of parents Salo and Johanna, under tragic circumstances, to their triplets born during the early days of IVF. As children, the three siblings – Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally – feel no strong familial bond and cannot wait to go their separate ways, even as their father becomes more distanced and their mother more desperate. When the triplets leave for college, Johanna, faced with being truly alone, makes the decision to have a fourth child. What role will the “latecomer” play in this fractured family?
A complex novel that builds slowly and deliberately, The Latecomer touches on the topics of grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion, and family dynamics. It is a profound and witty family story from an accomplished author, known for the depth of her character studies, expertly woven storylines, and plot twists.
My review:
3.5 stars (I think? It waffles day by day, maybe a solid 3?)
This is a really hard review to write. There were parts of this book that were so interesting and I was fully engaged, and parts where I just wanted to get to the end. This novel is written by the author of The Plot, but this book is nothing like that one. I love a character based story, and that is certainly what I got in this one. This is probably one of the best family character studies I've read. The writing and descriptions of these family members and their growth through the years was superb! The problem was that I was interested in some parts of their lives, but not in others. None of the characters are very likable (although I don't base my love for a book on that alone), so I think that made the uninteresting (for me) parts more difficult to get through. I'm not sure what I would have changed to correct this. There were not any sections that I could pick out and say I didn't feel they were necessary for the character development, because every interaction and journey does effect the family dynamic. My favorite part was the beginning, before the triplets went off in separate directions. I don't feel that the title is very apt as there is not nearly as much about the latecomer child as it implies (not that this is a negative, just an observation). I loved the relationship (or lack thereof) between the triplet siblings, it was such an interesting take on how we usually view multiples. Overall there were parts where this book shines, but ultimately I wish it could have been cut down somehow. I'll be interested to see what comes next from this author because her character development is some of the best I've seen!
I cannot stress enough that this is a character based novel! If those type of books are not your thing I would advise that you pass on this one. However if you are like me and prefer them, I would give it a go with the caveat that you may find some parts interesting and others not so much.
