Christmas in Austin - by Benjamin Markovits (Paperback)

About the Book

"When the four Essinger children gather in Austin for Christmas, they all bring their news.Nathan is hoping to become a Federal judge. Susie's husband has taken a job in England. Jean has asked her boyfriend and boss to meet her family. Paul has broken up with Dana, mother of their son Cal. But their parents have plans, too, and invite Dana to stay, hoping to bring the couple back together. As the week unfolds, the Essingers all face conflicts of loyalty and tensions between old families and new."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

This luminous family saga from one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists is a must for fans of Anne Tyler and Jonathan Franzen.

When the four Essinger children gather in Austin for Christmas, they all bring their news. Nathan is hoping to become a Federal judge. Susie's husband has taken a job in England. Jean has asked her boyfriend and boss to meet her family. Paul has broken up with Dana, mother of their son Cal. But their parents have plans, too, and invite Dana to stay, hoping to bring the couple back together. As the week unfolds, the Essingers all face conflicts of loyalty and tensions between old families and new.

Rich, intimate, and deeply perceptive, Benjamin Markovits' Christmas in Austin beautifully explores the deep-rooted division between the world we grow up in, and the life we make for ourselves.

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR A WEEKEND IN NEW YORK

"In tender, compassionate prose and a deftly compressed time-scheme, Markovits glints through desire, ennui, misunderstanding, and love, illuminating one family's life so that it glows collectively like a human panorama." -- Jonathan Lethem

"A book to be savoured .... for its granular evocation of family life. Hugely enjoyable." -- Observer