The Only True Genius in the Family

by Jennie Nash

Book Overview

From the author of The Last Beach Bungalow : a portrait of a family-in all its heartbreaking complexity. Though she lives in the shadow of her legendary landscape photographer father, and is the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425225755
• ISBN13: 9780425225752
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Awesome Book

I really liked this novel. A lot. I started this book dismissing it as chick lit but the book I read was much different and much deeper. I had so much sympathy for Claire. I know what it feels like to feel like you are lacking compared to others. I could imagine the anguish she must have felt believing her father, who she always wanted the approval of, loved her less because she was not as gifted and artistic as he would have liked her to be. I understand her feelings in way that I did not think that I would. The origin of genius and talent is also something I have never thought of before and I found it pretty interesting when I did. Is genius genetic or is it learned? I don't know. My dad is a genius in math and both my sister and I are veritable dunces when it comes to math. But then again, my father is an engineer and I managed to gain his talent for computers and technology. I also gained my love for reading from my mother. So, I do think that these forms of aptitude can be genetic but that genius can't be learned is, I think, false. As you can tell, this book made me think. I was struck by this book and I was surprised about how much. It was very well written. The characters were great. The only character that I did not like was Bailey. She seemed to be temperamental, bratty and overly critical of her mother. She seemed to look down on Claire. I think she was part of the reason for Claire's inferiority complex. I wanted to see more of Harrison. He was such a good guy. I really liked this book and think you will as well. Especially if you are looking for an introspective novel masquerading as chick lit.

Not to Be Confused with Chick Lit

There's a temptation to pass this book off as merely superior chick lit, and in some senses, it does contain similar characteristics. There's a woman and mother at the center of the story, there's family relationships, and a coming to terms with the death of a family member at the core of the novel. Ah, but then, author Jennie Nash raises the stakes by introducing two very unusual subjects so rarely probed in such detail that bring her writing game to an entirely literary level. The first is just how parents injure their children, and how all of us carry the scars of childhood with us throughout our lives, reliving those same behaviors within our own family. The second, perhaps more interesting is the study of creativity. Does it emanate from genius, or is it a seed that we all carry within us that some people are simply more free to express? In "The Only True Genius in the Family," the central character Claire is a food photographer with a successful career. Unless you compare it with her father's, of course. Her father is a true American icon, a landscape photographer in the tradition of Ansel Adams or Edward Weston. Adding to this feeling of self doubt comes Claire's daughter, Bailey, who not only has a special relationship with Claire's impossibly difficult father, but is an outstanding artist in her own right. Bailey is just on the cusp of greatness as she puts on her graduate show for her MFA. A mother shouldn't feel jealous, right? In fact, she is happy for her daughter's success, but there's this unhappy voice within Claire that keeps muttering that both her father and daughter "just had it so easy." Everything they touch turns to gold, and in Claire's case, genius seems to have skipped a generation (or so her father painfully notes). With this rich material, author Nash never gets maudlin, but instead takes us into Claire's world, and allows us to feel her pain, as she literally begins to lose her own creative vision with the death of her father. It's a gripping story that will have you thinking about the characters long after you reach the last page. It's a great read, even for chicks.

Wonderful story about one woman's search to unleash her inner artist

This story has so many layers to it. Claire struggles to balance her grief over the her famous photographer father's death with her excitement (and envy) of her daughter's budding career as a painter. As the story unfolds, Claire steps into her own rightful place to claim her identity as an artist. This novel deeply explores the nature of family relationships and how they shape our sense of self. It is beautifully written and a joy to read. I consumed the whole book in one sitting. I didn't want to put it down. Cami Walker, 29Gifts.org Founder

A well written inspiring story

If you want a novel that is skilfully written, inspiring and easy to read,. You have just found it! This book is a reflection for mothers and daughters that is provocative and touching at the same. A great choice for book clubs everywhere!

Beautiful Literary Fiction!

Claire is a daughter, a wife and a mother. She has a career, a solid marriage and has successfully raised a talented daughter. So what's missing? As the daughter of a legendary American artist and the mother of the hottest new artistic talent to hit the scene in years, Claire is searching for her place in this world. How she finds that place, and what it takes to get there, is the journey explored in Jennie Nash's new novel, The Only True Genius in the Family. I'll share the opening sentence to give you a taste of what you're in for: "My dad died at an incredibly inconvenient time, and I have no doubt that he planned it that way on purpose." Isn't that a great opening line? Thankfully the captivating beginning to this novel went on to become a thought-provoking middle and then a satisfying ending. The Only True Genius in the Family is an exploration of one woman's place in this world. Author Jennie Nash artfully weaves a thoughtful, character-driven story and then laces it with subtle moral dilemmas, continually prompting the reader to step into Claire's shoes. The novel is exquisitely put together, balancing the grieving process that accompanies the death of a parent with the hope we have for our children and then finding our own place in our family dynamics. Recommended for anyone who has ever doubted their place in this world.