For fans of Schitt’s Creek comes a charming novel about a formidable matriarch who is confronted with the messiness of family, originally published as Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners. Highly recommended by Buzzfeed, Southern Living, PopSugar, New York Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune, St. Paul Pioneer Press, BookPage, and HelloGiggles “Propulsive and endearing.” –J. Ryan Stradal, New … HelloGiggles
“Propulsive and endearing.” –J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest
To Violet Baumgartner, there is nothing more important than family. And hers is perfect. Or at least, that’s what she wants everyone else to believe, much to her daughter Cerise’s chagrin. But when a family secret is revealed at a big retirement party, life as Violet knows it begins to spiral out of control, pitting mother against daughter in an epic battle of wills that will change everything.
Brimming with humor, emotion and surprises, Behaving Like Adults brings to life a remarkable cast of flawed, deeply human characters who must learn to adapt to the unconventional and embrace all of life’s unexpected twists and turns.
Look for Gretchen Anthony’s next hilarious, heartwarming novel, The Kids Are Gonna Ask, winner of the 2021 Alex Award!
more
This is a humorous look at the strong matriarch who views her family as perfect and wants to make sure that the rest of the world is aware of their perfection. Each section is tied together by the Christmas letter that she wrote that year – boasting of all of the achievements of her husband and daughter and their perfect lives. As the novel begins, she is planning her husband’s retirement party with only the best food to impress their guests. Due to a surprise announcement at the party, Violet’s world comes tumbling down around her. She knows that there is no way that the shock of finding out that her unmarried daughter is both pregnant and a lesbian will allow her to keep up the facade of her perfect life. So she decides that she will take over control of her daughter’s life and pregnancy so that she can be the best grandmother in the world and make everyone else envious of her again.
Full of humor, emotion and surprises at every turn, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners brings to life a remarkable cast of quirky, deeply human characters who must learn to adapt to the unconventional, or else risk losing one another. This is the story of a family falling to pieces–and the unexpected way they put it all back together.
Even though Violet would be an easy person to dislike – and I have known some ‘Violets’ in my life – I thought she was funny and emotional and really cared about her family. Unfortunately she cared more about what the world thought of her family which was an unhealthy situation. I enjoyed the quirky interesting characters in this book and the way that they handled Violet as their mom, wife or best friend.
This was an impressive debut novel and I’m anxious to see what Gretchen Anthony comes up with for her next novel.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
I laughed several times while reading this book. Violet Baumgartner writes a Christmas letter every year detailing the life of the Baumgartners. Violet’s life isn’t what she expects it to be, and so many things pop up in her life that she hasn’t planned. They all make for a funny, yet heartfelt, tale of a family trying to cope with growing older, relationships with friends and family, and a growing and unique family. Very enjoyable!
#EvergreenTidingsfromtheBaumgartners #GretchenAnthony
I was provided an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, Park Row, through Netgalley.
3.5 stars. This well-written novel focusing on the Baumgartners, a dysfunctional, but loving family is fun and easy-to-read. I was a little disappointed that most of it does not actually take place at Christmas, but it still had great characters, provided many smiles, and even delivered a few surprises.
This was fun light reading with interesting characters.
Great book to read when your house is full of family visiting for the holidays.
Favorite Quotes:
Barb was steeped in the classics, but the only literary references Cerise knew came from the mandatory hours spent next to her mother watching Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. All that time invested and the only things she had to show for it were a decent British accent and a canny ability to let her thoughts wander behind open eyes.
If the Hesse family were birds, we’d be California condors… No, members of the vulture family and nearly extinct.
He watched as his soon-to-be-former boss, a toad of a guy who kept his dermatologist busy with retinol treatments and mole removal, straightened the pin tethering his Dolce & Gabbana tie to his Burberry shirt… I hope you croak, Richard wanted to say. I hear that’s what toads do.
My Review:
I loved this book from the start and was soon smirking as I relished the smartly written and clever humor, which quickly led to giggle-snorting and then on to full-on laughing aloud, which occurred several times before I finished. I adored the full slate of fascinatingly quirky and odd characters, but the winner, by far, of the most expertly crafted and deftly depicted character sweepstakes was the petty, shallow, and highly manipulative Violet. Violet was a meddlesome helicopter parent who was ridiculously intrusive, arrogant, judgmental, and an exacting perfectionist with everything she did, whether it was controlling the various committees she spearheaded or in keeping her home surgically clean. Violet’s to-do list was never-ending as she was constantly scheming and often had several going at once, although in her rationalizations it was always for the betterment of her family; her inner musings were comedic gold and highly entertaining. The storylines were ingenious and highly eventful while the writing was laced with insightful observations and packed with lip twitching levity. I couldn’t put my Kindle down, as I couldn’t wait to see what outrageous situation would pop-up next. I was stunned and awed to realize this was the author’s debut; it was a delight to read and a treasure to have discovered. Gretchen Anthony is definitely one to watch and has a new fangirl.
This is a clever romp centers around Violet Baumgartner and her clan of dysfunctional family and friends. Violet is a perfectionist and she wants everything to be done her way. When she learns her lesbian daughter, Cerise, is pregnant, she almost loses her head. And to make matters worse, Cerise and her partner refuse to reveal the origin of the male genetic material.
Because she values nothing more than family, this mystery drives Violet crazy. The book focuses Violet’s her emotional journey, and that of her daughter, Cerise, her husband, Ed and their dear family friend, Richard. Structured around Violet’s yearly Christmas letters, this is a sweet and satisfying holiday read. Often hilarious and touching on the same page, this lovely book reminds us that no family is perfect, and if it were, now wouldn’t that be boring?
Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners is the first novel from author Gretchen Anthony. This is a story reminiscent of the BBC comedy “Keeping Up Appearances”, the play “Church Basement Ladies”, and the children’s book “Heather Has Two Mommies.” Told with humor and heart, Ms. Anthony has shared the story of micromanaging mom Violet Baumgartner as she plans the retirement party for her husband, Ed. In an unexpected turn, a guest speaker announces the impending birth of their first grandchild.
Violet and Ed are caring and understanding where their daughter, Cerise, and her partner, Barb, are concerned. However, a grandchild is very unexpected. So much so that Violet passes out cold, resulting in hospitalization, stitches, and a severe concussion. While recovering, Violet becomes obsessed with the “how” of her grandchild.
Meanwhile, friends Richard and Eldris, along with their son and Cerise’s best friend, Kyle, get caught up in an unusual mystery of their own. As the two stories intertwine, the reader will find repeated connections between the two families.
This is a fun and novel story that I found engaging. It demonstrates how the family dynamic can be anything that works for the people involved and that there is no perfect script for that dynamic. With unexpected twists and interesting characters, I did enjoy this book and do recommend it.