Fun for the Whole Family

Fun for the Whole Family

Jennifer E. Smith

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

A breathtaking, joy-filled novel about the people we love, the secrets we keep, and the enduring power of family, from the bestselling author of The Unsinkable Greta James. The four Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude—were once inseparable, a bond created by the absence of their dazzling, mercurial mother, who would return for a few weeks each summer to whisk them off on sprawling road trips around the country. Decades later, the unthinkable has happened: the Endicotts haven’t spoken in years . . . until an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. They’re each at a crossroads: Gemma, who put her own ambitions aside to raise the others, now isn’t sure if she wants to be a mother herself; Connor, a celebrated novelist, is floundering after his recent divorce and suffering from an epic case of writer’s block; and Roddy, at the tail end of a professional soccer career, is dangerously close to losing his future husband for the chance at one last season. Jude is the only Endicott who seems to have it all together—but appearances can be deceiving. As the weekend unfolds, and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover that Jude has been keeping three secrets . . . each of which could change everything. A captivating journey and an ode to forgiveness that takes readers across all fifty states, Fun for the Whole Family brims with heart and resonates long after the final page.


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  • bookgang
    Mar 30, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

     
    Thank you to Ballantine Books for the advanced copy of this novel. Fun for the  Whole Family will hit store shelves on April 15th. 

    This sibling story will be an enormous hit this year and undoubtedly be on my favorite books of the year for 2025.

    From the bestselling author of The Unsinkable Greta James, Smith weaves together the story of four siblings- Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude who were abandoned at a young age by their mother and now have grown up and gone their separate ways as adults.

    It's a large cast of characters, but Smith fleshes each out so well that it's easy to follow. Readers are introduced to Gemma, the eldest, who questions her role as a caretaker and her own desires for motherhood; Connor, a celebrated novelist who uses their family story in sometimes damaging ways; Jude, an Oscar-nominated actress who is navigating big secrets and love in the spotlight; and Roddy, an aging professional athlete on the brink of losing everything.

    The siblings are all brought together when Jude sends an unexpected group text calling them to the middle of nowhere in North Dakota. There, the siblings are forced to confront their past and reflect on their many family road trips with their mom, slowly revealing secrets they have kept from one another and new layers to their relationships. Flashbacks and present timelines offer readers an incredible road trip experience through its pages as they travel throughout the U.S. as kids.

    Smith undoubtedly has a knack for writing characters that feel like they've been plucked straight from real life in this story—messy, complicated, and utterly relatable despite the many glamorous professions she has created for them. While mess is present in each of their lives, it's filled with endearing blemishes and layered with heartfelt humor on every page infused with familial warmth. 

    This novel is an absolute page-turner with beautiful layers as the siblings discover more about themselves and each other. 

     TAG: Road Trip, Books About Authors

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