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Oct 28, 2011

Parismaddy rated it:

Review for Strangers at the Feast by Jennifer Vanderbes

The story is based around one day for an American family, The Olson's, as they gather for Thanksgiving dinner. Gavin, Vietnam vet/father of Douglas and Ginny, and his wife, Eleanor (Wellesley grad who long ago turned in her diploma for housewifery duties) meet at Ginny's house, along with Douglas and his family. A malfunctioning oven in Ginny's kitchen prompts the dinner party to move over to Douglas's mini-mansion to finish pre More...

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Sep 06, 2011

Carla rated it:

I loved this book! Reading it was like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, where every piece that you put in it's place brought the picture just a little more into focus. By the end of the book, you had a complete picture, and realized that every piece was of equal importance, each piece contributed to the whole, and the picture would not have been complete if any of the pieces were missing. I think my mouth fell open about one third of the way through the book, and hung that way until long More...

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Aug 22, 2011

Jacki rated it:

Any book dealing with the housing crisis would not interest most financially-depressed Americans. When I received a copy of 'Strangers at the Feast' by Jennifer Vanderbes, and read the notes, I wasn't sure that I would find anything of interest. Depression, most likely.

But the minute I broke down and opened the book, I couldn't put it down.

The Olson family is celebrating Thanksgiving 2007. Gavin, the patriarch, is a Vietnam war vet who finds solace in his silence. His wif More...

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Jul 12, 2011

Erin rated it:

I wanted to like this novel more than I actually did, and ultimately found it very disappointing. I found the characters that Vanderbes created to be initially interesting, and thought her foreshadowing and tension building to be enough to keep me turning the pages, but then grew irritated at the two dimensional characters, who she never fully rounds out beyond stereotypes (the academic do-gooder, the traditional babyboomer housewife, the ambitious and greedy son, the poor but well-meaning blac More...

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Mar 21, 2011

Erica added it

This was the first book we read for the new book club I'm in (one of two!) We had all heard good things about this one . . . and we were all disappointed. On the surface this seems like it would really be up my alley (I love books about families in crisis!), but unfortunately the characters were so unlikeable that I couldn't get into it. And beyond unlikeable, I just didn't find them that interesting--there was the mother who was fragile and old-fashioned, the son who lost his money in the real More...

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Feb 22, 2011

switterbug (Betsey) rated it:

American mythologizing of Thanksgiving is still perpetuated--the idea of goodwill between Indigenous Americans and European "pilgrims" and the lie that America was founded on cooperation and integrity rather than eminent domain and genocide. The myth of the first Thanksgiving shapes and parallels the thematic core of Vanderbes' new novel, a scathing, biting, and bitterly droll portrait of a suburban family that takes place on Thanksgiving 2007. It is no coincidence that Stamford Connec More...

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Nov 22, 2010

Amy rated it:

Title: Strangers at the Feast
Author: Jennifer Vanderbes
ISBN: 978-1439166956
Pages: 352
Release Date: August 2010
Publisher: Scribner
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Provided by: Crazy Book Tours
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Publisher: On Thanksgiving Day 2007, as the country teeters on the brink of a recession, the Olson family gathers. Eleanor and Gavin worry about their daughter, a single academic, and her newly adopted Indian child, and about their son More...

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Nov 09, 2010

Sylvere rated it:

In Strangers At The Feast, Jennifer Vanderbes produces the tight, engaging narrative every writer dreams of creating. From the opening line, Jennifer Vanderbes draws you in and invites you to sit down with her fictional family while they tell their story. Vanderbes tackles weighty themes ranging from socioeconomics to eminent domain.

I struggled to craft a synopsis that would do justice to Strangers At The Feast. Simply stating the plot doesn't cover the intricacies of Vanderbes' s More...

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Oct 25, 2010

Teresa rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Sep 22, 2010

Trishnyc rated it:

The Olson family gathers to celebrate the Thanksgiving holidays at the home of one of its members, Ginny. Ginny has recently made some drastic changes to her life, adopting a daughter from India, buying a house and her decision to host the family for this event is surprising but seems to be in line with this new phase of her life. Her brother Douglas and his wife Denise are drowning in severe debt as a result of Douglas's over speculation in the real estate market that has now gone bust. So whil More...

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Sep 10, 2010

Mary rated it:

Incredibly sad, but funny too!

The Olson family has gathered together for Thanksgiving dinner at daughter's Ginny's house, a college professor who has just adopted a mute 7-year-old girl from India. Her brother Douglas has overextended himself in the real estate market and since the bubble burst is almost broke, much to the dismay and scorn of his wife Denise. Of course their three young children are present, and the grandparents, Eleanor and Gavin, who love each other but have little i More...

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Aug 30, 2010

Brenda rated it:

A family gathers for Thanksgiving, all having their own problems, that they are caught up in. At the same time there is a family who lost their home to one of the Olsen family's greed to wipe everyone on a block out of their homes, so that his company can build a building on their land. He has one home in particular condemned for blight and the family loses the home they have lived in for generations. Kuji and his friend are out on Thanksgiving hoping to make a point to the Olsen family. The More...

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Sep 04, 2011

Emily rated it:

Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good. Because I seem to have gotten myself not only on an advance access reading list from Simon & Schuster, but on their mailing list for finished copies of books, too. About a month ago I received a copy of Strangers at the Feast by Jennifer Vanderbes from the good folks at Scribner, along with a copy of The Hundred Foot Journey (reviewed here), which makes me suspect that it might be a mailing list catering to bookclubs.
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Aug 16, 2011

Anne rated it:

Strangers at the Feast is set on Thanksgiving Day in Connecticut in 2007. The story is told from many points of view, from different members of the Olsen family coming together for the holiday, and from a young black man who attempts to fight back against those who have hurt him.

The Olsen family is filled with dysfunction: past hurts, insecutities, loneliness, financial difficulties, the list goes on. The character that really stood out for me was Eleanor, the grandmother. For som More...

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Sep 30, 2010

Nomi rated it:

Excellent excellent. A tightly woven well-plotted and beautifully written story of a troubled upper middle class family's run-in with crime on Thanksgiving. Vanderbes brilliantly juxtaposes the young male black perpetrators, displaced victim's of Stamford real estate development due to alleged urban blight, alongside the McMansion dwelling Douglas who's overzealous real estate shenanigan's displaced them. In each chapter we hear from a different family member: consumer driven Douglas; his brilli More...

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Dec 13, 2011

Jan rated it:

I love books about the holidays. Especially around the holidays. This novel takes place in 2007 on Thanksgiving day. The extended Olson clan gets together to celebrate the day. Due to kitchen malfunctions the whole group pile into their cars and moves the feast to another house.
The house they are headed for is Gavin and Eleanor's. Kijo and Spider are two urban black kids. Mrs. Olson is their teacher and they know she will be away for the holiday. They plan some mischief. Armed with red sp More...

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Oct 24, 2010

Hillary rated it:

I must first thank Alexis Gargagliano and Wendy Sheanin at Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of Strangers at the Feast to read and review. From the moment I read the inside book jacket, I couldn’t wait to read this novel, as the autumn weather rolls in and the season of giving thanks draws near.

Race, class, and family are three of the big ideas at the heart of Strangers as the Olson family members observe and learn things about each other around the Thanksgiving Day table they wou More...

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Aug 05, 2010

thewanderingjew rated it:

I am not sure I would have picked it up to read on my own. I received it from Simon and Schuster as a giveaway and I am really grateful for that opportunity because I really enjoyed the book.
The author skillfully shines a light on so many issues facing society today. Throughout the book, the author’s use of comments by the characters, to foreshadow the last scene, is very effective. In one day, many of their insecurities and fears are revealed, almost casually, and often with humor. Witho More...

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Apr 15, 2011

Sherry rated it:

Really, really good read.

Briefly this is about a day in the life of the Olson family. Thanksgiving Day, 2007.

We learn all about Eleanor and Gavin, who are now concerned about their single daughter, an academic who has just bought at house and adopted an Indian girl of 7. And about their son, who is married with 3 children, but who is caught in the imploding real estate bubble.

Meanwhile 2 black teenagers set out from the nearby housing projects on a mysteriou More...

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Nov 06, 2010

Diane rated it:

Strangers at the Feast tells the story of the dysfunctional Olson family as they gather for Thanksgiving dinner, 2007. Little does the family have reason to suspect that their day will end in tragedy. The three generations of family members consists of Gavin, quiet, aloof, Vietnam Vet; his wife Eleanor ; their two children Douglas, (married to Denise with three children). Gavin and Eleanor's single daughter Ginger, an intellectual working in academia, is hosting the dinner in her newly acquire More...

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Jun 16, 2011

Mar rated it:

This book pulled together so many themes and characters exemplifying contemporary American life that I admire the author. It's Thanksgiving Day in upscale Connecticut, and two generations of the family, divided by terrible secrets, come together to share the holiday. A second set of characters are unwelcome guests, and one of the family empties a gun into the intruders.

Anyone of the family could have done it, but it's not the one you expect.

The richness lies in the char More...

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Mar 09, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

Brief Description: If you’re in the mood for a suspenseful family drama set during Thanksgiving, look no further! This novel manages to work in class warfare, single mother interracial adoption, simmering resentment, a marriage in freefall and multiple viewpoints. This story of the Olson family’s Thanksgiving will make your family’s feast seem like a smooth-sailing joy.

My Thoughts: I’d heard so many rave reviews about this book that I just had to read it. Although I wasn’t quite as tak More...

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Mar 19, 2011

Jane rated it:

The Olson family is gathering for Thanksgiving. The "elders", Gavin and Eleanor, have not had a perfect marriage. Gavin hasn't been the same since returning from Viet Nam. The women's movement pretty much passed Eleanor by, her one attempt at earning money ended badly for her.

Their daughter, Ginny, is a single professor who has recently bought a house and adoped a daughter from India.

Their son, Douglas, is tettering on bankruptcy due to the real estate collap More...

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Sep 20, 2010

Allyson rated it:

This book was really very well written, but just too depressing. I would not recommend it to anyone.
Part I was something I wanted to put down but did not as I already knew where it was headed and was curious enough to continue reading. The characters were all just such losers and it's domestic dramas and dysfunctions were too disturbing. Once I entered Part II, it became better, more engrossing, but she did not establish enough sympathy for her characters to warrant the awful feeling cr More...

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Oct 12, 2010

Katy rated it:

Strangers at the Feast is told from multiple points of view, which underlines the fact that the characters are, no matter their relationship with each other, strangers to each other. They also seem to be strangers to themselves in many ways, puzzling over changes that had occurred to themselves and within themselves. Although the timeline of the story focuses mainly on Thanksgiving holiday, there are a lot of flashbacks and background provided throughout. It could be a bit disorienting at times, More...

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Sep 08, 2010

Diane D. rated it:

I wrestled with 3 to 4 stars for this book. Let's say 3.5. The synopsis given when you click on the book here on GR is very accurate.

The Olson family -- Eleanor and Gavin (the early 60 year old parents) and their grown children (Ginny-single/liberal/guardian of a mute girl she brings home from India; and Doug and his wife, Denise, and their 3 children...very well off family, caught up in the 9-11 economic bust) gather at Ginny's newly purchased house (a true "fixer"), but s More...

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Nov 27, 2011

Bookbabe rated it:

Little did I know when I started reading this right before Thanksgiving that the story was about the upcoming holiday. Admittedly, I was grateful that my family dinner was uneventful, without the stress or events that played out in the story that day. I liked the way the author built the tension, slowly but surely, and I liked these people despite their sometimes irritating or aloof or arrogant behavior. I was particularly drawn to Gavin and Eleanor who tried to do what was right and honorable More...

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Dec 05, 2010

Gina rated it:

I am in awe of this book. Every once in awhile a book comes along that just takes my breath away and this book did that for me.

A horrific crime occurs on Thanksgiving Day as 3 families gather together. The families include parents of 2 grown children and their children. BUT, take note, this plot doesn’t even begin to describe all the sub-stories that unfold in these family'a lives. It becomes much, much deeper than that.

Listed below are some quotes which struck me an More...

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Sep 07, 2010

Jill rated it:

Let me say it straight out: this book is astoundingly GOOD. Page-turning, jaw-dropping, laugh-out-loud, cry-into-your-sleeves, gasp-with-recognition GOOD. It takes on nothing less than the theme of what is wrong with America today and it does it very well.

The action takes place over one Thanksgiving day with lots of flashbacks. There hasn’t been a family like the Olsons since Zoe Heller’s The Believers – with a dollop of the movie Pieces of April blended in. This family DEFINES More...

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Aug 05, 2010

Rhonda rated it:

I liked how each character took turns telling about themselves and they where true to thierselves.
how real they were. i can see so many pieces of people that i know in them.
I agree with some of the characters and disagree withsome. I thing the way soldiers were treated durning and after vetnam a disgrace. those who spit on them are the blighted ones. I am a mix of genny and her mom.
I wanted to know more about the characters what happened next to them.
I would have liked More...

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