Commuters - by Emily Gray Tedrowe (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"Tedrowe explores the reconfigurations of a family and the strange alliances that can occur between young and old, love and work. And she writes brilliantly about money.... A deeply satisfying debut." --Margot Livesey, author of The House on Fortune Street

"A poignant meditation on desire, heartrending loss, and dreams deferred." --Robin Antalek, author of The Summer We Fell Apart

Emily Tedrowe's exceptional debut novel depicts the shockwaves set in motion by the sudden marriage of one middle-class family's 78-year-old matriarch to a wealthy outsider. Commuters is that rare novel that offers something for almost everyone: "foodies" interested in exploring the rich tapestry of the New York City restaurant scene; the millions who have been profoundly affected by the current financial and mortgage crisis; or anyone simply looking for a beautifully drawn family drama in the vein of the works of Katrina Kittle (The Blessings of the Animals, Two Truths and a Lie) and Jennifer Haigh (The Condition, Baker Towers, Mrs. Kimble).

From the Back Cover

At seventy-eight, Winnie Easton has finally found love again with Jerry Trevis, a wealthy Chicago businessman who has moved to the small, upstate town of Hartfield, New York, to begin his life anew. But their decision to buy one of the town's biggest houses ignites anger and skepticism--as children and grandchildren take drastic actions to secure their own futures and endangered inheritances. With so much riding on Jerry's wealth, a decline in his physical health forces hard decisions on the family, renewing old loyalties while creating surprising alliances.

A powerfully moving novel told from alternating perspectives, Commuters is an intensely human story of lives profoundly changed by the repercussions of one marriage, and by the complex intertwining of love, money, and family.

Review Quotes

"In her wonderful and original novel Commuters, Emily Tedrowe explores the reconfigurations of a family and the strange alliances that can occur between young and old, love and work. And she writes brilliantly about money. Reading these absorbing pages, I couldn't help longing for each of her richly imagined characters to get his or her heart's desire. A deeply satisfying debut." - Margot Livesey, author of The House on Fortune Street

"In COMMUTERS, Emily Gray Tedrowe gives voice to the old, the young, and the indifferent as they muddle their way through the expectations and disappointments of passionate and familial love in all its manifestations in this affecting debut novel. A poignant meditation on desire, heartrending loss, and dreams deferred, author Tedrowe explores the idea of second chances: of a surprising love late in life, of an addict choosing to stay alive, of a desperate woman mourning the dual loss of a healthy husband and the home they shared, and an adult daughter refusing to come to terms with her father's decision who makes her own devastating choice that will ultimately unravel them all. With pitch perfect clarity, Tedrowe's story will stay with you long after you turn the final page." - Robin Antalek, author of The Summer We Fell Apart

"So fantastic. This is the kind of book you would imagine Virginia Woolf might write were she with us is the 21st century: relevant and contemporary, relentlessly funny, deeply insightful, and fearless in its exploration of people's private lives." - Patrick Somerville, author of The Cradle

"In her wonderfully cohesive debut novel, short-story writer Tedrowe graduates to elegant novelist. . . . A lovely and literate family drama that wins bonus points for its sincerity and open-hearted delivery." - Kirkus Reviews