Rating:⭐⭐⭐
Ambitious in scope, spanning the post-WWII years to the present day, Last House by Jessica Shattuck is a sweeping family saga that follows the fates and fortunes of the members of an American family. The story opens in 1953, where we meet WWII veteran thirty-year-old Nick Taylor, employed as a lawyer with American Oil, a part of a team visiting the Middle East along with a former Yale classmate Carter Weston, who “worked for the government” and whose area of expertise overlapped with Nick’s company’s agenda. With the growth of the oil industry in the United States, Nick’s career flourishes, affording his family financial security and material comforts including a vacation home in Vermont – a choice destination for many of his friends and colleagues. As the narrative progresses, we follow Nick, his wife Bet and his children Katherine and Harry - their hopes, aspirations, regrets and the consequences of the choices they make. “Last House” – their home is Vermont bears witness to their joys and sorrows, their triumphs and their losses and remains a haven for them during challenging times.
The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Nick, Bet and Katherine. The novel starts strong and though I was engrossed in Bet and Nick’s life in the post-WWII years, I found my interest waning as the narrative progressed. Both Nick and Bet’s backstories were interesting, but certain impactful events were merely glossed over. There was more telling than showing several momentous events in this novel. The pacing is on the slower side for the larger part of the story (though it rushes through the end to 2026 ) and the narrative is more than a tad disjointed and lacking in depth despite the rich socio-political backdrop of the novel. Katherine’s political activism and the tumultuous 60s and &70s – the years of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement - were well presented but I wish we had been given a more insightful look into Harry’s psyche and his motivations. A segment from Harry’s perspective would have, in my humble opinion, enriched the narrative. Each of the characters was realistic and well thought out, but with the exception of Katherine, the complexities of the other characters and the family dynamic were touched upon somewhat superficially. However, I did feel that the author does raise a timely and relevant question in terms of how present generations perceive the consequences of the actions of those who came before them.
Overall, though there is a lot to like about this novel and I did enjoy it in parts, it wasn’t an entirely satisfying read.
Many thanks to William Morrow for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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