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Goldengrove: A Novel by Francine Prose

In 1976, a novel called Ordinary People by an unknown author named Judith Guest became a surprise bestseller. Soon adapted into a popular movie, the book was about the meltdown of a seemingly perfect upper-middle-class family after the beloved older son died in a boating accident, nearly sinking his younger brother with a raging case of survivor guilt.

Francine Prose’s 15th book of fiction, Goldengrove, also concerns the overwhelming grief that washes over a family after the watery death of its oldest child. But Prose’s focus is less about the psychological repercussions of the tragedy than about the passing of youth and innocence that is a tragic fact of human existence.

Powell’s Books - Review-a-Day - Goldengrove: A Novel by Francine Prose, reviewed by Los Angeles Times.