Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodessor-Akner @taffyakner @edoballerini @PRHAudio

the setup…
Meet the Fletchers. They’re a wealthy Jewish family living in the Long Island township of Middle Rock who were shaped by one event decades ago. In 1980, Carl Fletcher, son of Phyllis and the late Zelig, was kidnapped from his driveway and held for ransom. His pregnant wife Ruth and two young sons, Nathan and Bernard, lived in terror until the money was exchanged and he was returned home. They all resumed their lives as if nothing had happened and daughter Jenny was born soon after, not having been a part of the trauma but raised by those who were forever changed by what happened. Fast forward to present day and the effects of that one event resonate in the adult Fletcher children in the most destructive ways.

the heart of the story…
Everyone in this family lived their lives going forward based on how that trauma left them back in 1980. No one talked about it in healthy ways and the children were left to their own untrained devices to manage through. Nathan, the oldest, suffered from chronic fear and became a lawyer with a dead end career path. Bernard, now called Beamer, became a Hollywood screenwriter, stuck in creating stories that all involved a kidnapping and immersed himself in self destructive medications (drugs, sex and overstimulation). Jenny spent her life trying to prove she wasn’t her family. It’s a compelling and rich family saga, laced with humor, tragedy and extraordinary dynamics.

the narration…
Ballerini is one of my favorite narrators and he adeptly captured the essence of each family member. It’s a seemingly impossible task but he delivered an outstanding performance.

the bottom line…
The stories were painful to experience and this complicated family wasn’t always the most sympathetic. Be forewarned that the depravity of Beamer’s is hard to suffer through. The final revelations were sort of twisty, creating an irony that changed everything. It’s long but so worth the incredible journey.

Book Info

• Release Date: July 9, 2024
• Narrator: Edoardo Ballerini
• Audio Length: 15 hours, 33 minutes
• Publisher: Random House Audio

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(Thanks to Libro.fm and Random House Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)