The Nest

By Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

Book Overview

"Hilarious and big-hearted, The Nest is a stellar debut." -- People

A warm, funny and acutely perceptive debut novel about four adult siblings and the fate of the shared inheritance that has shaped their choices and their lives.

Every family has its problems. But even among the most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point on an unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. Months earlier, an inebriated Leo got behind the wheel of a car with a nineteen-year-old waitress as his passenger. The ensuing accident has endangered the Plumbs' joint trust fund, "The Nest," which they are months away from finally receiving. Meant by their deceased father to be a modest mid-life supplement, the Plumb siblings have watched The Nest's value soar along with the stock market and have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems.

Melody, a wife and mother in an upscale suburb, has an unwieldy mortgage and looming college tuition for her twin teenage daughters. Jack, an antiques dealer, has secretly borrowed against the beach cottage he shares with his husband, Walker, to keep his store open. And Bea, a once-promising short-story writer, just can't seem to finish her overdue novel. Can Leo rescue his siblings and, by extension, the people they love? Or will everyone need to reimagine the futures they've envisioned? Brought together as never before, Leo, Melody, Jack, and Beatrice must grapple with old resentments, present-day truths, and the significant emotional and financial toll of the accident, as well as finally acknowledge the choices they have made in their own lives.

This is a story about the power of family, the possibilities of friendship, the ways we depend upon one another and the ways we let one another down. In this tender, entertaining, and deftly written debut, Sweeney brings a remarkable cast of characters to life to illuminate what money does to relationships, what happens to our ambitions over the course of time, and the fraught yet unbreakable ties we share with those we love.

?Instant New York Times Bestseller; named a Best Book of 2016 by People, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, Refinery29, NPR and LibraryReads.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062414224
• ISBN13: 9780062414229
• Release Date: April 2017
• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

How Money Can Bind and Divide

“The Nest” is a compelling exploration of how money can complicate and strain family relationships. The novel revolves around four siblings who stand to inherit a trust fund left by their father, a man who worked diligently to build a modest fortune. His intention was never to make his children wealthy, but rather to offer them enough financial support to ease certain burdens, such as paying off a mortgage or funding their children’s education. However, thanks to market fluctuations, the trust fund—dubbed "The Nest"—grows far beyond its original intent. As the story unfolds, a family crisis leads one sibling to desperately need the money to avoid legal and public disgrace. This moment puts immense pressure on the other siblings, whose own plans and dreams hinge on the dispersal of the trust. What follows is a tense examination of family dynamics and how money can both bind and divide. The novel’s strength lies in its rich characterization, offering deep insights into how each sibling views and values money in different ways. It’s a thought-provoking read, prompting reflection on how financial needs and desires can sometimes obscure what’s truly important—relationships, loyalty, and love. In “The Nest”, those deeper values are sacrificed by a few, leading to damaged relationships that might never be fully repaired. It’s a cautionary tale about the powerful, and sometimes destructive, role money can play in our lives.

A surprisingly good read

Oh my but the Plumb family is so dysfunctional and yet probably kind of normal, I'm afraid! I wasn't sure if I would like reading about all their problems but I was immediately hooked. This story affirms that sometimes we just have to let go of some family members and be stronger, healthier and happier for it.

Witty and real

This book was a fun read, opening dark family secrets but with humor too. Explores the misplaced expectations and hopes in people bc they are family. I wanted to read it all at once.