Pineapple Street: A Novel

"It is funny, but it is surprisingly empathetic. It’s about a family of real estate moguls. They’ve got three kids and you’re hearing the perspective of the two daughters and the daughter-in-law. One daughter has gone off on her own, she’s married a successful businessman and she is not involved in the family business or working. The other daughter is taking the family’s money but is working for nonprofits doing good works. Then you’ve got the daughter-in-law, who is married to the son who works in the family business. She is a graphic designer from Rhode Island (where I live) and gives her perspective on this family. It’s full of privilege. None of the characters should be likeable, but yet somehow they are. This is a beach read in that it’s quick, fun, and fluffy. People aren’t learning a ton, but they are redeemable. Marin Ireland, the narrator, is a Golden Voice for AudioFile —newly crowned. She takes the heightened emotion out. She can make someone sound empathetic and yet tired and resigned to what’s happening. Even if they’re an unlikable character, the way she voices them makes them more relatable. She makes them seem like they are going through something that you can sympathize with. Somehow, she brings sympathy to characters that are not sympathetic. I don’t know how she does it."