Synopsis
A sweeping novel of one Kentucky family's rise and fall throughout the 1980s--a tragicomic tour de force about love and marriage, parents and children, and the perils of mixing family with business, from the acclaimed author of The Animators
It's December 24, 1979, just before closing at Baker-Taylor's, and Fran (née Baker) is surveying her domain. Her husband, Fred, is charming customers in the front of the store, while last-minute shoppers in the toy aisle are fighting over the lone remaining Atari. The older Taylor kids are on register, while the younger ones' chaos is contained to the stockroom. All is right in the world as the new decade approaches. With four healthy children and financial stability their own parents could have only dreamed of, Fred and Fran are the picture of the American Dream--rags to riches--with a family-owned chain of successful discount department stores built on years of hard work and long hours. Underneath the surface, however, the business is changing at a breakneck pace, and each member of the family is struggling to keep up. Money is transforming Fred, and the extremes he will go to in order to fit in with Lexington, Kentucky's slicked-back high society crowd are embarrassing, if not downright dangerous. Oldest son Josiah wants nothing to do with the family business, Sam is seeing things that might not really be there, and Benny and Birdie are growing up with a fraction of the parenting that their older brothers did. Meanwhile, Fran, her family's stable core, is falling for Wendy, a cashier at Baker-Taylor's, risking everything along the way. While trying to maintain the facade of a perfect success story, Fred and Fran learn that in matters of love and money, once it's gone, it's gone--no returns, no exchanges."synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Kayla Rae Whitaker is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and New York University. Her first novel, The Animators, was named a best book of the year by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and BookPage. She lives in Queens, New York.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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Returns and Exchanges: A Novel
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Random House USA Inc, New York, 2026
ISBN 10: 0593733347
ISBN 13: 9780593733349
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Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. NATIONAL BESTSELLER A sweeping novel of one Kentucky familys rise and fall throughout the 1980sa tragicomic tour de force about love and marriage, parents and children, and the perils of mixing family with business, from the acclaimed author of The AnimatorsThis is the novel Ive been missing: a sprawling, emotional, and true family saga. I fell completely in love with the characters, the story, the setting. All of it. Its damn near perfect.Ayelet Waldman, author of Love & TreasureIts December 24, 1979, just before closing at Baker-Taylors discount department store, and Fran (nee Baker) is surveying her domain. Her husband, Fred, is charming customers in the front of the store, while last-minute shoppers in the toy aisle are fighting over the lone remaining Atari. The older Taylor kids are on register, while the younger ones chaos is contained to the stockroom. All is right in the world as the new decade approaches.With four healthy children and financial stability their own parents could have only dreamed of, Fred and Fran are the picture of the American Dreamrags to richeswith a successful chain of family-owned stores built on years of hard work and long hours. Underneath the surface, however, the business is changing at a breakneck pace, and each member of the family is struggling to keep up.Money is transforming Fred, and the extremes he will go to in order to fit in with the slicked-back high society crowd of Lexington, Kentucky, are embarrassing, if not downright dangerous. Josiah, the oldest son, wants nothing to do with the family business; Sam is seeing things that might not really be there; and Benny and Birdie are growing up with a fraction of the parenting that their older brothers had. Meanwhile, Fran, her familys stable core, is falling for Wendy, a cashier at Baker-Taylors, risking everything along the way. While trying to maintain the facade of a perfect success story, Fred and Fran learn that in matters of love and money, once its gone, its goneno returns, no exchanges. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780593733349
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