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Strangers at the Feast: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.03) - 676 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
On Thanksgiving Day 2007, three generations of the Olson family gather. Eleanor and Gavin worry about their daughter, Ginny, an unmarried academic in her thirties with 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, seventeen-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.
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"Really held my attention and loved the way Vanderbes developed her characters...each with specific chapters dedicated to them specifically throughout the story. The ending was a bit disappointing to me, however, I thoroughly enjoyed her plot line and was anxious to see how it developed. A good read."
— Michelle (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Family conflict, fascinating social commentary, and a riveting plot converge in Jennifer Vanderbes’ stunning Strangers at the Feast, a thriller that also raises large and haunting questions about the meaning of guilt, innocence, and justice.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
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 Starred Review -
“An inventively plotted, highly readable novel about white Americans’ overweening sense of entitlement.”
— Booklist
Strangers at the Feast Listener Reviews
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" This book is about disfunctional and tension filled family members getting together at Thanksgiving. After interesting backstories are presented ,tragedy occurs that change their lives forever. The way the story is written they were on this collision course as a result of their choices in pursuing their American dream. "
— Julie, 2/9/2014 -
" 3.5 actually. A somewhat strange read. I think this will make for a good discussion. "
— Jennifer, 2/8/2014 -
" Started out really strong but lost a lot of momentum. I would have preferred just a family drama with solid plot of relationships and social mores without the drama of the home invasion. "
— Elizabeth, 2/4/2014 -
" Strangers at the Feast is family drama at it's best. Many families keep secrets, but the members of this family did not seem to have much in common until a tragic holiday event. This is a riveting read and brings up many issues that would make for great book club discussions. "
— Patricia, 1/18/2014 -
" very good, thought provoking, and disturbing! "
— Sherwestonstec, 1/8/2014 -
" It was a different sort of thriller that was heavily focused on character development for the majority of the book, which I enjoyed. The ending was a little unsatisfying for me though. "
— Haleigh, 1/3/2014 -
" This was a very suspenseful, fast read. I liked the way the author designated each chapter to be from the point of view of a different character, and in doing so, brought the whole story together. A bit disturbing, but definitely a good story. "
— Lori, 11/5/2013 -
" Very well done. A very different story than her earlier novel, Easter Island, but still featuring an anthropologist. Has a lot to say about contemporary family, American values, urban strife and race relations. Irony beautifully handled. Sad but well worth reading. "
— Susan, 9/25/2013 -
" I really liked the first half of this book, or maybe the first two-thirds. But not the last part at all. "
— Mia, 8/9/2013 -
" Family portrait at Thanksgiving. Starts in the present time and then goes back and forth telling the back story and then proceeds again to tell where there lives are now which all leads up to an interesting confrontation. "
— Pam, 8/1/2013 -
" Perfect for a bookgroup meeting in November. This novel takes place on Thanksgiving day and gives the reader much to think about and discuss. "
— Melissa, 4/5/2013 -
" This is a really, really, really fantastic novel. "
— Passagetx, 12/24/2012 -
" Another well-regarded book that I didn't much like. I didn't find the characters relatable or sympathetic. "
— Nancy, 9/21/2012 -
" Interesting characters and family dynamics as choices have consequences and families interact. "
— Perkimom, 3/16/2012 -
" Depressing. What is the point of reading such angst inducing material? Sorry not for me! "
— Karen, 12/6/2011 -
" Love the honesty and humor of the characters. Skillfully written. The audio version is cleverly narrated. "
— Indlibrarystaff, 11/8/2011 -
" Anyone who loves good literature should read this. It flowed like a stream with no obstacles, read it in two days. "
— Julie, 5/21/2011 -
" This was a very powerful novel that went in several different directions, but because the author is so good at her craft, she was able to pull it all together. I read this book in a day-and-a-half because I couldn't put it down. Well-written and very readable... "
— Delia, 4/5/2011 -
" This book would have been an interesting discussion at book club! "
— Kristen, 2/25/2011 -
" I really liked this. A little more on the aftermath would have been good -- but I get where she was going with this. An easy read - I recommend it. "
— Jackie, 2/19/2011 -
" This book was good!I like the modern themes. "
— Janelle, 2/16/2011 -
" Really good novel. I thought this was complex, layered, and well written. My only complaint was that it ended, as I would have liked to have seen more exploration of events that happened at the end of the novel (don't want to give anything away, so I will leave it at that). "
— Kathy, 2/6/2011 -
" Love the honesty and humor of the characters. Skillfully written. The audio version is cleverly narrated. "
— Indlibrarystaff, 1/29/2011 -
" Well written, plot driven, but I was disturbed by the ending. "
— Donna, 1/17/2011 -
" Compelling, haunting, and suspenseful--- this book is oddly funny at times as well. How Vanderbes balances all of the various voices and emotions and themes of socio-economic status and intergenerational conflict makes this book a winner. It makes me want to read her first novel, Easter Island. "
— Patricia, 1/11/2011 -
" Not as good as I thought it would be from reading the review in Oprah magazine. "
— Christine, 1/11/2011
About Jennifer Vanderbes
Jennifer Vanderbes, the author of the acclaimed nonfiction book Wonder Drug, is also a novelist, journalist, and screenwriter whose work has been translated into sixteen languages. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Granta, and Best New American Voices. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and was named a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar for her work on Wonder Drug.
About Renée Raudman
Renée Raudman is an actor and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. She has performed on film, television, radio, and on stage and can also be heard in several video games and hundreds of television and radio voice-overs.