‘A richly detailed, slow-burning family saga distinguished by incisive psychological insight and masterful research. . . Shattuck is such a good writer, giving us swaths of cultural and historical background as gracefully and intelligently as she parses the emotional depths of her characters. Every note in the novel rings clear and true.’ — Kate Christensen, New York Times Book Review
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Women in the Castle comes a sweeping story of a nation on the rise, and one family’s deeply complicated relationship to the resource that built their fortune and fueled their greatest tragedy, perfect for fans of The Dutch House and Great Circle.
It’s 1953, and for Nick Taylor, WWII veteran turned company lawyer, oil is the key to the future. He takes the train into the city for work and returns to the peaceful streets of the suburbs and to his wife, Bet, former codebreaker now housewife, and their two children, Katherine and Harry. Nick comes from humble origins but thanks to his work for American Oil, he can provide every comfort for his family, including Last House, a secluded country escape. Deep in the Vermont mountains, the Taylors are free from the stresses of modern life. Bet doesn’t have to worry about the Russian H-bombs that haunt her dreams, and the children roam free in the woods. Last House is a place that could survive the end of the world.
It’s 1968, and America is on the brink of change. Protestors fill the streets to challenge everything from the Vietnam War to racism in the wake of MLK’s shooting—to the country's reliance on Big Oil. As Katherine makes her first forays into adult life, she’s caught up in the current of the time and struggles to reconcile her ideals with the stable and privileged childhood her Greatest Generation parents worked so hard to provide. But when the Movement shifts in a more radical direction, each member of the Taylor family will be forced to reckon with the consequences of the choices they’ve made for the causes they believed in.
Spanning multiple generations and nearly eighty years, Last House tells the story of one American family during an age of grand ideals and even greater downfalls. Set against the backdrop of our nation’s history, this is an emotional tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance and what we owe each other—and captures to stunning effect the gravity of time, the double edge of progress, and the hubris of empire.
Genre: Historical
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Women in the Castle comes a sweeping story of a nation on the rise, and one family’s deeply complicated relationship to the resource that built their fortune and fueled their greatest tragedy, perfect for fans of The Dutch House and Great Circle.
It’s 1953, and for Nick Taylor, WWII veteran turned company lawyer, oil is the key to the future. He takes the train into the city for work and returns to the peaceful streets of the suburbs and to his wife, Bet, former codebreaker now housewife, and their two children, Katherine and Harry. Nick comes from humble origins but thanks to his work for American Oil, he can provide every comfort for his family, including Last House, a secluded country escape. Deep in the Vermont mountains, the Taylors are free from the stresses of modern life. Bet doesn’t have to worry about the Russian H-bombs that haunt her dreams, and the children roam free in the woods. Last House is a place that could survive the end of the world.
It’s 1968, and America is on the brink of change. Protestors fill the streets to challenge everything from the Vietnam War to racism in the wake of MLK’s shooting—to the country's reliance on Big Oil. As Katherine makes her first forays into adult life, she’s caught up in the current of the time and struggles to reconcile her ideals with the stable and privileged childhood her Greatest Generation parents worked so hard to provide. But when the Movement shifts in a more radical direction, each member of the Taylor family will be forced to reckon with the consequences of the choices they’ve made for the causes they believed in.
Spanning multiple generations and nearly eighty years, Last House tells the story of one American family during an age of grand ideals and even greater downfalls. Set against the backdrop of our nation’s history, this is an emotional tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance and what we owe each other—and captures to stunning effect the gravity of time, the double edge of progress, and the hubris of empire.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"It's rare to find such a gripping novel about an ordinary family pulled in opposite directions by their generational differences and the opportunities and pressures of current events. This is a highly intelligent portrait of a country divided about its values, and an old New England house that has the capacity to shelter and heal all comers. I loved and related to Last House and will keep it on my favorites shelf." - Alice Elliott Dark
"A family is a pledge that the world isn't ending, at least not yet. Jessica Shattuck shows us, in a saga as epic and sweeping as it is domestic and intimate, how one generation's best intentions cast shadows in the lives of the next." - Jonathan Dee
"Last House soars, sweeping us through the 1960s to the near future, and following the river of oil that influences American policy. But the novel's great beating heart is the particularities of the lives of two captivating women - one bound by social mores, the other trying to dismantle them. The sublime ending touched me to my core." - Amity Gaige
"Riveting, powerful, and beautifully written, Last House combines the epic scope of an intergenerational geopolitical saga with the suspense of a moving family drama. Jessica Shattuck's sharp insights about the seductive delights and dangers of progress, idealism, and loyalty will stay with me for a long time." - Angie Kim
"Ambitious in its historical sweep yet intimate in its portrayal of a family's trials, Jessica Shattuck's moving new novel brings to life the '50s and '60s in America in such a way that we feel powerfully their contemporary relevance. Last House is utterly compelling." - Claire Messud
"Last House is an ambitious historical epic that doubles as an intimate family saga. Jessica Shattuck captures and connects it all - the imperial ambitions of the postwar generation, the rebellion of their offspring in the Sixties, the fallout that we're still sifting through today. Shattuck writes incisively about marriage, siblings, social activism, and the self-deceptions that allow us to preserve our belief in our own innocence despite all the evidence to the contrary. This is a wide-ranging novel to savor." - Tom Perrotta
"A family is a pledge that the world isn't ending, at least not yet. Jessica Shattuck shows us, in a saga as epic and sweeping as it is domestic and intimate, how one generation's best intentions cast shadows in the lives of the next." - Jonathan Dee
"Last House soars, sweeping us through the 1960s to the near future, and following the river of oil that influences American policy. But the novel's great beating heart is the particularities of the lives of two captivating women - one bound by social mores, the other trying to dismantle them. The sublime ending touched me to my core." - Amity Gaige
"Riveting, powerful, and beautifully written, Last House combines the epic scope of an intergenerational geopolitical saga with the suspense of a moving family drama. Jessica Shattuck's sharp insights about the seductive delights and dangers of progress, idealism, and loyalty will stay with me for a long time." - Angie Kim
"Ambitious in its historical sweep yet intimate in its portrayal of a family's trials, Jessica Shattuck's moving new novel brings to life the '50s and '60s in America in such a way that we feel powerfully their contemporary relevance. Last House is utterly compelling." - Claire Messud
"Last House is an ambitious historical epic that doubles as an intimate family saga. Jessica Shattuck captures and connects it all - the imperial ambitions of the postwar generation, the rebellion of their offspring in the Sixties, the fallout that we're still sifting through today. Shattuck writes incisively about marriage, siblings, social activism, and the self-deceptions that allow us to preserve our belief in our own innocence despite all the evidence to the contrary. This is a wide-ranging novel to savor." - Tom Perrotta
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Jessica Shattuck's Last House