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Title: Strangers at the Feast

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Jennifer Vanderbes

Narrator: Renée Raudman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-03-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

On Thanksgiving Day 2007, three generations of the Olson family gather. Eleanor and Gavin worry about their daughter, Ginny, an unmarried academic in her 30s, a newly adopted Indian daughter, and about their son, Douglas, who has recently been caught in the imploding real-estate bubble. But Ginny and Douglas, determined to have a perfect holiday, keep their troubles secret, a skill they have learned from their parents.

As old grudges, personality clashes, and a stove malfunction spiral the Olson's holiday into a tense and foodless afternoon, 17-year-old Kijo Jackson and his best friend, Spider, set out from the housing projects on a mysterious job. As these two families - one white, one black - head toward a violent and inevitable encounter, Jennifer Vanderbes masterfully lays bare the fraught lives of these fascinating characters and the lengths to which they will go to protect their families.

Critic Reviews:

"An absorbing and suspenseful story about the dynamics of family, generational misunderstandings, and the desperate ways one copes with both the arbitrariness of fate and the consequences of one's choices." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Dissecting a Family

This an excellent character study of members of a family and two friends whose lives collide on two different occasions. I really enjoyed how the author delved into the minds of the characters really giving us a background to the main event. I wish more would have been spent at the end but all in all, I thought this was an excellent read. I found it to be a real page turner. Also, if you're a parent or simply a member of a family you can relate to the feelings and personalities described here. I found it a very engaging story and highly recommend it.

Characters for Each Generation

Jennifer Venderbes has successfully intertwined characters to cross generations with empathy and poignancy. In choosing a family Thanksgiving gathering, she provides the perfect setting to examine each character and the baggage that family members always pack for the holiday. The choice of Thanksgiving as the holiday is unto itself especially thought-provoking as the reader can't help but ask herself, "What are we thankful for, and what should we be thankful for?"

The eldest members of the Olson family, Gavin and Eleanor, bring to life the history of the Boomer generation. They faced the Vietnam War, joined in the flight to suburbia and settled into raising their family, son Douglas and daughter Ginny. Housewife and insurance salesman, their roles become seemingly harmless as parents and guides for the next generation.

Douglas and his wife Denise start down the path to replicate his parents' subdued suburban life. Then, the touches of 911 hit too close to home in their southern CT life and the real estate burst and bust suddenly shift their relationship into role transformations as spouses and parents themselves to twin sons and a young daughter.

Ginny as a contrast to her brother Douglas, sets in motion the events of the day when she uncharacteristically hosts the family's Thanksgiving "feast".