Vacationers

Emma Straub lives in New York City and is the author of a short-story collection, Other People We Married, and the novels Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures and The Vacationers.

I loved Emma Straub's The Vacationers; funny, poignant and beautifully observed. -- Jojo Moyes, author of ME BEFORE YOU I would read anything Emma Straub writes. She's a natural talent and a gorgeous and witty storyteller. The characters will linger with me long into the future. -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of EAT, PRAY, LOVE Charming and absorbing, this is a novel that demands to be read in long, satisfying gulps. -- Maggie Shipstead, author of SEATING ARRANGEMENTS Witty, big-hearted, and packed with wisdom, The Vacationers is a breezy read that sneaks in its emotional wallops and leaves you smiling for days. -- Maria Semple, author of Orange Prize-shortlisted WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE? Now this is what I call good holiday reading. Straub writes beautifully and amusingly ... hard to beat for sheer charm and gentle wit. Daily Mail Straub's novel is cast from the same mould as the likes of Liza Klaussmann's Tigers in Red Weather and Maggie Shipstead's Seating Arrangements ... The Vacationers is a holiday read in every way with a gently witty narrative that slips down as easily as a beachside cocktail. Independent For those unable to jet off to a Spanish island this summer, reading The Vacationers may be the next-best thing. Straub's gorgeously written novel follows the Post family ... the island is brought to life irresistibly ... the novel's joy and humor are infectious. Straub may be an heir to Laurie Colwin, crafting characters that are smart, addictively charming, delightfully misanthropic and fun. Franny waxes on the pleasures of "being alone in the kitchen," and her passion for her children, for her friend Charles, for food, love and travel, illuminates the narrative. "Being in a foreign country made even the smallest differences seem like art," Straub observes. When I turned the last page, I felt as I often do when a vacation is over: grateful for the trip and mourning its end. New York Times A novel that is both a lot of fun to read and has plenty of insight into the marital bond and the human condition. Kirkus (starred review) Straub is telling in her observation, superb in her perception and awesome in her control of plot. She writes with a bleak, spare wit ... of her wonderfully drawn characters ... Brilliant Daily Mail A fun read - a delightful story with an even more delightful end. The Lady A gem of a smart beach read. Good Housekeeping