You Should Have Known Author: Visit Amazon's Jean Hanff Korelitz Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1455599492 | Format: PDF
You Should Have Known Description
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This excellent literary mystery by the author of 2009's Admission unfolds with authentic detail in a rarified contemporary Manhattan. Therapist Grace Reinhart Sachs is about to embark on a publicity blitz to promote her buzzed-about book on why relationships fail, You Should Have Known. In the meantime, she cares for her 12-year-old son, Henry, who attends the same private school she went to as a child. Grace also treasures her loving relationship with her longtime husband Jonathan, a pediatric cancer doctor at a prestigious hospital. The novel's first third offers readers an authoritative glimpse into the busy-but-leisurely lives of private-school moms. Grace does her best to get along with the school's vapid and catty fundraising committee. She eventually learns that one of the mothers outside her social strata, Malaga Alves, was found murdered in her apartment by her young son. Grace, already tense and sad from these events, becomes more and more anxious as Jonathan, at a medical conference in the Midwest, proves unreachable over several days. The author deftly places the reader in Grace's shoes by exploring her isolation, unease, and contempt for the rumor mill. The plot borders on hyperbole when it comes to upending what we know about one character, but that doesn't take much away from this intriguing and beautiful book. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, WME Entertainment. (Mar. 2014)
Review
"This excellent literary mystery [unfolds] with authentic detail in a rarified contemporary Manhattan. . . intriguing and beautiful."—
Publishers Weekly (starred review) See all Editorial Reviews
- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 18, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1455599492
- ISBN-13: 978-1455599493
- Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 1.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
In this compelling portrait of a psychotherapist and her family, the eponymous You Should Have Known refers to a book written by relationship/marriage therapist, Grace Reinhart Sachs. Grace's self-help/relationship book candidly opens up to women about their penchant to ignore signs of toxic partners. She identifies the red flags that one should detect when hooking up with a lifetime partner. Grace claims that most of us "know," even from the beginning, when a partner isn't right for us; too often we disregard the evidence in our quest to try and reconcile that other person into our lives. Fortunately for Grace, she has had 17 happily married years with Jonathan, a compassionate pediatric oncologist. Until one day, her life turns upside down.
Grace's book is on the verge of being published; already she has had interviews with different magazines and TV news shows. Jonathan is supportive, her practice thrives, and their twelve-year-old son, Henry, is a bright student at a private, prestigious middle school. They live in the New York apartment that Grace grew up in. Their lives are content and balanced. And, then, a tragedy throws Grace into the teeth of an emotional storm. Her life has convulsed, her world is tilted, her compass is in uncharted territory, and misaligned. She has only herself, her comfort zones (special places in NY that she has known since childhood, a rural farmhouse in Connecticut, eateries she frequents), and her beloved son. Now, she thinks, who should have known?
There's a crime, but this isn't a crime book or police procedural, despite some conspicuous detectives.
Jean Hanff Korelitz's novel of domestic angst, "You Should Have Known," is the story of Grace Reinhart Sachs. She is a therapist who, for fifteen years, has specialized in helping couples mend or sever their relationships as painlessly as possible. In addition, Grace's publicist has arranged interviews and television appearances to stimulate interest in Grace's forthcoming work of non-fiction. It cautions women to be on the lookout for warning signs that should give them pause before they invest time, energy, and emotional resources in a serious relationship. Her message is that when women fall in love, they are sometimes dazzled by what they perceive as instant chemistry. Consequently, they may not pay close attention to their partners' flaws; only when it is too late do they realize that should have been more circumspect.
Grace considers herself fortunate to be wed to the handsome and charming Jonathan, a dedicated pediatric oncologist. The couple has a twelve-year-old son, Henry, who attends an exclusive private school and studies the violin with a top-notch teacher. One day, Grace learns some shocking secrets that prove how vulnerable even a trained professional may be to the blindness that she describes in her soon-to-be-released book. She realizes that her stable and blessed life is actually built on a foundation of lies.
The protagonist is a likeable character who, although a bit too clueless (hence, the irony), is an unselfish, kind, and loving mother. Her resilient and realistic attitude helps her and her son rebound from a series of horrendous setbacks. In addition, the author accurately portrays the entitled, affluent, and self-congratulatory parents who enjoy the good life in Manhattan with their cherished progeny.
You Should Have Known Preview
Link
Please Wait...