4.5 stars - A wonderfully written story about a woman who's engagement in political activism in Paris unintentionally echo her father's exhilarating and tragic experiences protesting in Cambridge 50 years earlier. The book alternates between Minerva's and her father Keen's timelines and does a great job mirroring their respective experiences with politics and falling in love with someone who might not be the best for them. The book does touch on some real historical and more recent political demonstrations, but most of the events described are fictional albeit not far from reality. I enjoyed the questions and ideas the book posed, although it might not be for everyone especially if you're not interested in radical politics. A lot of the characters' conversations reminded me of similar conversations in Birnam Wood, although that book was decidedly much less optimistic and more theatrical than There's Going to Be Trouble.

Overall, I would recommend to anyone interested in progressive politics, especially if you've struggled with the current political climate. The struggle for a better world has always been present in society but it doesn't mean that nothing has improved.

There's Going to Be Trouble is a very intriguing title to a beautifully written book. Although I enjoyed the descriptive nature of Jen Silverman's writing, I don't think this book was for me. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the subject matter as much as I was hoping. I'm not big on protests and such and didn't realize how much of the book would revolve around politics. I typically enjoy books for escapism purposes, so I had to be in the right mood to pick this one up. As an American who has never been to Paris, I found myself struggling to understand some of the places and terms, but I don't think this is too large of a deterrent for the average reader.

I did enjoy the back and forth of timelines between daughter (2018) and father (1968), as well as the complicated relationships and romance. Silverman does a great job of making you feel like you're watching a movie play out as you read. A good book for fans of complicated love stories.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

Thank you Random House for my Netgalley copy of THERE’S GOING TO BE TROUBLE by Jen Silverman, out 4/9/24!

This may be in my top reads of the year! I loved this book - it’s everything I love in a novel. It has both French and American history, multiple love affairs, radical activism for the working class, time jumps, dualing POV’s that make sense around the halfway mark and family above all.

The overarching theme: The course of your life can change with one split-second decision.

Minnow has always tried to lead the life her single father modeled—private, quiet, hardworking, apolitical. So she is rocked when an instinctive decision to help a student makes her the extremely public face of a scandal in the small town where she teaches. As tensions rise, vandalism and death threats follow, and an overwhelmed Minnow flees to a teaching position in Paris.

There, Minnow falls into an exhilarating and all-consuming relationship with Charles, a young Frenchman whose activism has placed him at odds with his powerful family. As Minnow is pulled into the daring protest Charles and his friends are planning, she unknowingly draws close to repeating a secret tragedy from her family's past. For her father wasn’t always the restrained, conservative man he appears today. There are things he has taken great pains to bury from his family and from the world.

In 1968, Keen is avoiding the Vietnam draft by pursuing a PhD at Harvard. He lives his life in the basement chemistry lab, studiously avoiding the news. But when he unexpectedly falls in love with Olya, a fiery community organizer, he is consumed by her world and loses sight of his own. Learning that his deferment has ended and he’s been drafted, Keen agrees to participate in the latest action that Olya is organizing—one with more dangerous and far-reaching consequences than he could have imagined.

The Vienam War and the activism of the late 60’s is a moment in time I am very intrigued by. Any book that tackles the heartbreak of this time in a way as good as this novel has my full attention. This book is smart, suspenseful, engaging and revolutionary. I loved every second of it and I didn’t want it to end.

It keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen to each character. And the main protagonists are SO enticing. I love their thoughts, I love their way of thinking, I love the way they are challenged and their growth is astronomical. The book leaves you thinking deeply about every aspect of your life and existence and the way the world works. Jen Silverman - you are amazing! I will read anything you write. I am going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

The title of this novel is so perfect. There is a feeling of dread woven through every scene, both the flashbacks to the 60's and the current contemporary times. Minnow (Minerva), is hiding in Paris. She made a decision that cost her her teaching job in the US and she is filling in for a friend during the tumultuous Macron protests. While she licks her wounds, she meet a young radical that intrigues her.

As we learn more of Minnow, she mentions her close relationship with her father. The alternating chapters are her father's story in the 60's as he studied at Harvard during the Vietnam war and became involved with a group of protestors. Their stories mirror each other without being too perfectly matched. The dread and tension grew and it actually reminded me of the one of my most favorite books - Atonement - I actually gasped out loud at some of the events!

Jen Silverman beautifully captures youth, age, protesting and some very big themes. I think that everyone will come away with a different opinion on the themes of this book, and that is just brilliant!

The catch phrase for the description of the book is "The course of your life can change with one split-second decision." As a teacher, in the age of social media, we all know this to be true.

Grab this book is you are an old lefty, a new radical, or just love beautiful writing!
#randomhouse #theresgoingtobetrouble #jensilverman

A beautiful story that I will remember for a long time and will be recommending enthusiastically. Protest culture in 1960s Cambridge, Mass and 2018 Paris are considered through stories of love, and I was completely engrossed in both timelines. The writing is beautiful and I am certainly going to add We Play Ourselves to the TBR. Jen Silverman has a new fan.

With some beautiful writing, Jen Silverman has written a very thought-provoking book. The story is written in an interesting style, with each chapter going from back and forth into the lives of a father and daughter and the choices they have made over the years, some of which have had very damaging consequences.

The book opens with Minnow as she is known in a protest in Paris. She had recently moved to Paris after having been asked to leave her teaching position in the US. While a teacher, Minnow took it upon herself to help a student and by doing so, caused a cascade of events that changed her life and caused her to flee. As she seems to be on the edge of life, she meets Charles, another teacher from her school who is French and younger.

Charles and Minnow become a couple, even though she was initially reluctant. He is from a well-connected family, and the two of them get lured into deeper protests and take radical actions in riots across Paris. Minnow seems energized by her relationship with Charles and the many protests. What bugs me about her character, is that she seems to not think through her actions to understand consequences.

Keen her father is another one who also got drawn into situations in life that had dire consequences. As a student at Harvard during the Vietnam war he gets involved with protests and falls in love with a girl that changes the course of his life. As a reaction to all that happened in his life, he buries himself into his work and his parenting of Minnow.

Overall, I think the story is fresh and compelling, but I just didn’t like the characters. I started off reading with a
bang then had to drag myself to finish. The book seemed to drag and I got lost in all the tear gas and at the end it just seems to lose steam. I liked so much of the writing, but what is the point of the story?

“There’s Going to be Trouble” by Jen Silverman is a thought provoking beautifully written book that kept me reading for two days straight. It is the story of a young woman who has an affair with a radical activist. She has to come to terms with her own scandalous past during the tragic & violent 60s era to today’s equally chaotic present world. This book is full of suspense, love, and sacrifice that force us to recognize the consequences of the choices we make and how it impacts the future.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a collection of stories that showcases the complexities of humanity and surprises the reader with unexpected turns. Silverman's writing style is both elegant and sincere, conveying deep emotions through concise language. Standing out the most is Silverman's talent for crafting memorable characters who seem as genuine as the people you encounter in everyday life. Whether it's the peculiar neighbor who always finds himself in trouble, the artist who has lost faith in their craft, or the unanticipated bond between strangers, each character is richly developed, instantly relatable, and captivating.

Silverman's stories dance along the lines of humor, poignancy, and the absurd. The blend of these elements keeps the reader engaged and invested from start to finish. While the collection traverses a range of themes and moods, there's a consistent thread of authenticity that ties everything together, making the stories resonate on a personal level.

I enjoyed this story very much and can attest to the author's ability able to pack an emotional punch that will leave you reflecting on the subtleties long after you've finished reading.