This Is Not About Us

by Allegra Goodman

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives—divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals—their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.

A kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family — steadfast, complicated, begrudging, and loving — from the bestselling author of Isola. Sharply observed and laced with humor, This Is Not About Us is a story of growing up and growing old, the weight of parental expectations, and the complex connection between sisters — a big-hearted book about the love that binds a family across generations.

Author: Allegra Goodman was raised in Honolulu. She studied English and philosophy at Harvard and received a PhD in English literature from Stanford. Goodman is the recipient of a Whiting Writer’s Award, the Salon Award for Fiction, and fellowships from MacDowell and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.