The Best of Families

by Harry Groome

The Best of Families is the revelatory midlife memoir of a Philadelphia socialite, Francis Hopkinson Delafield. Uncomfortable with the mores of one of the city’s oldest families, Fran begins his story the summer after he graduates from prep school, when he dutifully marries his pregnant French Canadian girlfriend only to have her disappear within months of their marriage. Disillusioned and angry at the whole world, Fran quits college and enlists in the army. He is badly wounded in a war that no one seems to know or care about, and upon returning home from Vietnam, he is confronted with navigating the roiled waters of a second marriage while both his parents and his wives hold secrets that alter his life forever.

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2016

About the author

Harry Groome's short stories, poems and articles have appeared in dozens of magazines and anthologies. He's the author of the novels Wing Walking (2007) and Thirty Below (2012), and the award-winning Stieg Larsson parody The Girl Who Fished with a Worm (2011). A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Harry also holds an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this book creatively captures a bygone era of a social class stigma and its gender limitations. From the beginning of the male central character's young adult life in the 1940's, an interesting trajectory is woven over a span of decades in this Hemingway-esque stylized narrative. By the novel's end, the irony of the book's title and the Philadelphia's aristocracy behind it is not lost on the reader.

[Mommaleena · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Best of Families by Harry Grooms
• Insightful
This story makes you so and think about how you really deal with family issues. This story isn't a fast paced one, but it's a good read. I kept wondering what was going to happen around the corner. ARC received from Netgalley for an honest voluntary review.

[William Shade · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a good look into family life in the 5o's. Even the most influential have warts and bumps. The military aspect was accurate and brings to mind some of the thoughts many of us who went to Vietnam are experiencing now.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even blue blood can't prevent heartbreak; in fact it often seems to cause it. A good tale of secrets coming back to haunt a family that seems to have it all.

[Mystica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fran was young, naive and innocent. Making someone pregnant at 18 did not fall into his scheme of things though he did love her very much. Against many odds he decides to marry and then he enlists for Vietnam leaving a wife behind, leaving her with his parents who have nothing in common with her and a mother who does not hesitate to show her antagonism known. Fran in his naivety thinks they will look after her but they don't. His father is spineless against the will of his wife and things spiral out of control.

Returning badly wounded, he finds his wife has disappeared and no amount of trying to track her down or talk to her works. Fran also is dispirited but he also seems to take the path of least resistance though he does try initially to find out what happened to his wife and child.

Fast forward many years and he has now married but there are secrets in his second marriage as well.
It does not augur well for the future with so many shadows and secrets in their lives. How they cope with an uncertain future, surprising comebacks and how Fran and his second wife have to deal with their own marriage and its frailties before they confront the future.

Mainly I felt sad for Fran for the futility of all he lost, despite being a brave, honest man who always tried to do the correct thing. The story did not draw me in as much as it should have mainly because of the negativity that prevailed.

[Nita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about this young man's life in mid-20th century. Being a Philadelphia socialite must have been quite a challenge. It was interesting to follow his path toward being his own man. It's unfortunate there is another book with the same title. This book was easy reading. I was fortunate to have received this book from the Goodreads giveaway. Thanks Harry Groome.