“Tapping into a keen sense of family fault lines, Jennifer Niven gives us the Newmans—a seemingly perfect television family who, once the cameras stop rolling, are barely holding it together in a rapidly changing world. Warm, witty, and wise, this is a novel about reclaiming the narrative when the cost of pretending becomes too high to bear.”
“Jennifer Niven's Meet the Newmans is both a fascinating time capsule of 1960s America and a story that still feels fresh and relevant today. Whip-smart dialogue, a page-turning plot, and an ending that is heartwarming and oh-so satisfying! I loved this one.” — Jennifer Mathieu, author of The Faculty Lounge
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Niven, a novel about America’s favorite TV family, whose perfect façade cracks, for fans of Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ idealized apple-pie perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb—literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and the charmed luck of rock ‘n roll idol Shep may have finally run out.
When Del—the creative motor behind the show—is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken, impassioned young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?
Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.
Early Praise for Meet the Newmans
“Jennifer Niven is a master at crafting a glittery facade and then showing us in full, hilarious, heartbreaking detail what lies beneath. Trust me, you don’t want to miss meeting these Newmans.”
— Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guncle
“Jennifer Niven gives us an intimate look into a television family at a moment of secret upheaval, when their deepest fears and most urgent desires collide and nothing will be the same again. Set in a historical moment that resonates with many of our current cultural concerns, Meet the Newmans is moving and engaging—and a complete delight.”
— Nina LaCour, nationally bestselling author of Yerba Buena
“Glamorous and nostalgic, chaotic and warm-hearted, but with important things to say— the perfect recipe for an immersive read about a family in the spotlight and the truth behind the façade. You will fall in love with all the Newmans, but especially Dinah, juggling fame, motherhood and being the perfect wife. Compulsive reading— I loved it!.”
— Veronica Henry, Sunday Times bestselling author of How to Find Love in a Bookshop
“Meet the Newmans is a perfect mix of nostalgic feel-good and thought-provoking ideas. Combining a hit 50s TV show, a family of national treasures, a woman who is bored of being in the kitchen and a dash of Betty Friedman is clearly the recipe for a compelling read!'
— Araminta Hall, author of One of the Good Guys
“Delicious and devourable . . . Meet the Newmans will hold you in your chair and remind you (with a winning smile) how recently won are many of our freedoms. . . . Like the Newmans themselves, the surface sparkles, and just beneath lie murkier truths that won’t stay put.”
— Emma Knight, New York Times bestselling author of The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus
“Turn off the TV and read this book! Meet the Newmans is a warm, humorous, emotionally resonant tale of family and feminism, exploring the hidden layers of our everyday lives.”
— Camille Perri, author of The Assistants and When Katie Met Cassidy
“Very unique and cleverly written. A big fat family drama and huge slice of social history in the 1960s when life for each family member pivots, attitudes are challenged and relationships are tested. This family is like a simmering pot on the stove, waiting to boil over. And when it does, it's a recipe for drama.”
— Jo Thomas, bestselling author of Love in Provence
“Easily my favourite book of the year! It was unexpected, witty, charming and heart-wrenching all at once, with a cast of main characters impossible not to love. Jennifer Niven has done a fabulous job with this absolutely brilliant novel.”
— Soraya Lane, author of The Lost Daughters series
“Billed as Lessons in Chemistry meets Daisy Jones and the Six and I can completely see why. This story of a famous fiction TV family in 1960's America and their subsequent unravelling is as thoughtful as it is entertaining. The writing thrums with energy, and the characters feel wholly believable. Definitely a recommend from me.”
— Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things
“Meet the Newmans is a clever and cathartic exploration of intergenerational female rage. I was immediately drawn in by the brilliant premise and the tongue-in-cheek way it scrutinises the dual lives all of us lead. The dynamic between Newman matriarch Dinah and scrappy young journalist Juliet kept me turning the pages, desperate for them to break free. But what this novel also cleverly does is highlight the way in which patriarchy and 1960s societal expectation creates shackles for the Newman men. I came to care so deeply for every member of this family. By the end I was both bereft and in disbelief that the Newmans are fictional. It’s Mad Men meets Daisy Jones, which is a Venn diagram I very much wanted to be in the middle of. I loved it!”
— Anna Brook-Mitchell, author of Motherfaker
