Long Island Compromise: A Novel BY Taffy Brodesser-Akner

In Long Island Compromise, a gripping novel by the bestselling author of Fleishman Is in Trouble, a dark incident from 1980 shatters the idyllic suburban paradise of the Fletcher family, leaving a legacy of trauma and complex inheritances that haunt them for decades.

Carl Fletcher, a wealthy businessman, is kidnapped from his own driveway, subjected to brutal treatment, and held for ransom. Despite his return within a week, seemingly unscathed physically, the emotional scars run deep. The family, reassured by their wealth's ability to secure their safety yet haunted by the incident, struggles to move forward. Carl secretly seeks closure while Ruth, his wife, devotes herself to shielding him from emotional turmoil.

Their three grown children—Nathan, perpetually held back by fear in his legal career; Beamer, a Hollywood screenwriter numbing his anxieties with excesses; and Jenny, determined to distance herself from family trauma yet inevitably shaped by it—each grapple with their own demons and the implications of their family's legacy.

As the novel spans generations and delves into the complexities of American Jewish life, it confronts themes of tradition, success, historical trauma, and the intricate dynamics of familial love and shared experience. The family's once-secure fortune dwindles, forcing them to confront uncomfortable truths about how wealth has shaped their identities and fates.

Long Island Compromise is a rich tapestry of satire and social commentary, navigating through decades of personal and societal upheavals with wit and depth. It explores the intersections of ambition, inheritance, and the elusive pursuit of happiness in a narrative that blends humor, pathos, and sharp cultural insights.