this book blew my mind!!!!! completely unlike anything else i've ever read before. go into this book without knowing anything and you will be so drawn in

This is a five. The words are powerful. It feels like the book transcends time so that we can once again experience the past and sort out opinions on where we’re headed in our country.

The reader learns all about one family. Nick Taylor, a veteran of the war, and graduate of Yale, is married to Bet, graduate of Vassar. It starts in 1953 with their two young children, Katherine and Harry. They are comfortable with their lives in a small town of Connecticut and they bought a vacation place called: Last House in Vermont. It’s surrounded by beautiful trees, trails, creeks for fishing and it’s an ideal getaway from the big city. They were thinking that it would be a great place to escape -- just in case -- the world falls apart.

While Nick’s career involved meeting with powerful Middle East leaders to discuss oil and government support, his adult daughter Kat has taken another direction in protesting the Vietnam war and big oil. Overtime, their lives changed but Last House was there as a stabilizing structure and retreat for the family.

There’s a lot to take in with this book. Jessica Shattuck’s last book, “The Women in the Castle” made such an lasting impression with the development of her characters. This book does the same with a plot closer to home. It makes you feel immersed with the family’s achievements and shortcomings.

From the start, it’s engaging and makes you remember all sorts of music and news from the 60s. Yes, I remember drive-ins, hippies and Nixon as president. It feels like you could be in the kitchen discussing mundane or world news with them. It’s very well written and the story stays with you especially at the end. It gives you a lot to ponder and is a great book for a discussion.

My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 14, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in return for an honest review.

In Last House, we follow the Taylor family during America’s post war years. I think that the author did an excellent job with the story in regards to the background research she had done. I especially liked how Bet’s background showed how extremely bright women were recruited during the war efforts as code breakers- this is something that did go on in America during WW2.

The author did an excellent job of taking a period in America, and diving deep into many topics. I didn’t see them as rushed but rather contributing to the bigger picture.


I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys novels of family sagas, history and the golden years of America.

Beautiful and heartwarming. Excellent writing! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This will be good for book clubs.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy ebook.

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. I spent the majority of the book wondering what the point was. There were interesting parts here and there, but the majority of the book was a bit slow paced for me. I thought it became the most interesting by the last part, but the ending seemed rushed to me and I wish there was more of the book dedicated to that instead of parts in the middle. 2⭐️.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher William Morrow for an advance copy of this generational novel, that charts the changes in American politics and thinking through a small nuclear family and they country home they all love.

Most people like to look back at the 1950's as the good old days for America. College for veterans, good homes in the suburbs, a car in every garage, and a tv in every living room. Everything was grand, except for minorities, women and specter of nuclear holocaust that was duck and covered in every school room and broadcasted on almost all mediums. Even the President of the United States before the decade ended and the 1960's truly began warned of the vast military complex that was arising and was a danger to the republic. Add in the pressures of keeping up with the Joneses, the undiagnosed PTSD of many veterans, civil rights, and numerous other problems, there are reasons why the 1960's were so tumultuous. People think of this time as halcyon days for America, but a majority of the population were on pills similar to halcion, and that is problem with not knowing history. In the novel Last House, Jessica Shattuck looks at the time in American history when the post-war craze led to a Vietnam haze and the facade that so many thought was real began to collapse.

Nick Taylor is living the American Dream. A beautiful wife he loves, a son and a daughter, a good job as lawyer for an oil company, and a house in the suburbs. Nick's life can't be more apple pie than that. Nick is doing so well he can afford a house deep in the Vermont mountains, the Last House it is called, an oasis of calm in fast moving world. Bet, Nick's wife was a codebreaker in the war, something that still bothers her. Being more aware than Nick about things, Bet fears the bomb destroying everything she has strived for, and thinks of the Last House as a bastion for the end of the world. As time goes on Nick is faced with different challenges in his job, that test his morals against the lifestyle he thinks he needs. Their children are changing too, seeing more things wrong than right, especially their daughter Katherine who wants to force change, no matter what her parents want.

Last House is a look at a what seems the perfect nuclear 2.5 children, family, and how easy it is to lose sight of what is important. Shattuck balances what is happening in America with what is happening among the Taylors. The fear of being blown up, the rising feeling that the company might be doing what is best for the company, and not the world. The environmental cost, and many other themes. Shattuck never loses sight of the characters, and is quite skillful in showing the slow changes among them, the ethical decisions and lapses, the slow acceptance of what is asked of us, and what we have to surrender. Shattuck really has a very good sense of place, and makes everything seem like stories a family might share sometime in the future. That's how much readers identify with the characters. A wonderful read, about family, change and acceptance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Unfortunately, I was unable to get into the story and found it slow paced without much to pull me in. There were certainly interesting pieces of history I was unfamiliar with and side plots would have enjoyed following.

I'm happy to say I seem to be in the minority here but, I was not a big fan of this book. While there were definitely interesting points, overall it felt very slow paced and not much story there. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

"Last House" is a gripping novel that covers decades, beginning with the father working as a consultant for the oil fields in the Middle East during the 50's, then watching the parents of a son and daughter maneuver their lives as their father is abroad on secrets missions, while they remain in Connecticut, eventually immersed into the 60's and 70's, and visiting their summer house, the last house, as their get away. At one point, while the son and daughter are now young adults, they stay at the Last House while their parents are traveling, and the siblings start to see each other differently.. More time passes, and readers learn about that gap, when the older sister narrates the final portion of the book, which brings us back to the beginning of the novel, detailing a lengthy list of products made from oil. I don't want to give away spoilers, but this family epic isn't that long (as many "epics" are, and it's a gripping read.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC. I was particularly interested in this book given that the time period represented a very turbulent time, in the late 60's, when I was a teenager and I still remember the multiple protests that were carried out, regarding the Vietnam War and racism. Reliving these historical events was of particular interest to me. I do enjoy the multi-generational story and how the members in the Taylor family evolved.

I felt this one had excellent family drama with bits of history mixed in that kept you engaged. It tends to more literary fiction genre . I found the plot a bit slow but overall a good book

Historical fiction meets multi generational family drama. Told through multiple points of view in a family dad Nicky, mom Bet, daughter Katherine and brother Harry. This books spans decades from 1960’s all the way to 2026 and explores American politics, the oil industry and Vietnam from each persons unique point of view based on their life experiences. Beautiful writing, a literary masterpiece. The family has Last House in the Vermont woods where they can escape the turbulent times and be together in nature.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read Last House by Jessica Shattuck. An important book. More gold stars needed!
No one could sum it all up any better than this -
"An ambitious historical epic that doubles as an intimate family saga. Jessica Shattuck captures and connects it all—the imperial ambitions of the postwar generation, the rebellion of their offspring in the Sixties, and the fallout we’re still sifting through today. . . . This is a wide-ranging novel to savor.” — TOM PERROTTA

Great Book about family dynamics and American history that make us examine our decisions and why we our driven to do the things we do. Loved the setting and the character development.

Loved this story about a family’s triumphs, tragedies and survival during the turbulent 1960’s, 1970’s and beyond. It was a refresher in US History and the complicated international problems of the time. Had forgotten about the Weather Underground bombings, demonstrations and counter culture that boldly thought to change the US. After the passage of fifty plus y ears those influences were muted and the family at the heart of the novel is what mattered.

Thank you Netgalley & William Morrow Publishing for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️

"Last House" is a sweeping story that spans many years of American history. It follows the Taylor family, who become wealthy thanks to the oil industry. They have a special retreat, called Last House, where they can escape the world's troubles. But as the years go by, the family faces challenges and changes that make them question their beliefs and values.

I'm a total sucker for family sagas, and this one hooked me from the start! I love how the story unfolds through the eyes of different family members, showing how their lives intersect and influence each other. Jessica Shattuck’s writing is beautiful, making the story come alive.♥️You'll be drawn into the Taylor family's struggles and triumphs, and you'll finish the book with a new perspective on life.

If you're like me and love getting lost in a good family saga, "Last House" is a must-read. It's a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it, making you think about your own family and the legacy you want to leave behind.

This story is not a unique plot yet it is told differently enough to feel unique. The characters are complex and they evolve (like most humans) and I enjoyed and learned a bit while reading about the many historical times portrayed through the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on May 14, 2024.

I have just read three superb books about Vietnam by women, written from women’s’ points of view and from three different perspectives. What a trio! Kristin Hannah, Alice McDermott and Jessica Shattuck have created three novels about this era in our history that are all worthy of praise. Shattuck’s book is the most literary. I had to stop and reread so many paragraphs that were so clever and insightful I took notes to reread later. Her novel is brilliant. Sometimes one word suffices. The Taylor family is her focus and the novel spans the forties to the present… 2026 is the end date so Jessica takes us beyond the present. Frankly, I wondered about her motives in added that fillip at the end. The family dynamic is related in sections devoted to each member and we are introduced to mother, father, sister and brother from mostly Katherines’s point of view. She is the hippie, anti war, anti establishment daughter who personifies the young people who so vociferously opposed the Vietnam war and its atrocities. She takes us on our journey through this era in our history and although I grew up in this era, I felt I never experienced it as I did reading this novel. I was again appalled at our country’’s involvement. A concurrent theme is her father’s history as a lawyer for the oil industry involved with the Shah of Iran and his reinstatement as leader of this oil rich nation. Both intersect as we meet the cast of characters. LAST HOUSE is their summer home in Vermont and a crucial part of the family history. I found the title ironic and meaningfully chosen. I have chosen this book for my book club discussion. The combination of history, family dynamics, and politics makes for an unforgettable literary experience.

When I read the description of this book I recognized myself as the target audience for such a tale.

A family drama set across decades yet it feels incredibly intimate. It’s a love story, both romantic, platonic, and familial that the reader experiences from various angles of a persons life. You don’t fall in love once, but you choose love over and over in the moments that make up your life; this book beautifully explores that and all of the complexities our relationships entail.

Over the course of this book you not only meet a family but feel as though you’ve joined them. Each characters voice was so distinct that reading it in my mind felt like listening to an audiobook with various narrators thanks to the strength of Jessica Shattuck’s writing.

The eco/environmental fiction presence is strong in the internal thought embedded within each character’s point of view. What I found refreshing, beautiful, and helpful to the books pacing was that each character, just like people, had their own way of viewing the same issue or topic. Stemming from their unique individual life experiences, but more than anything, the change a generation can have on an era, or the other way around.

This book was anything but monotonous. With various plantings throughout the book all being paid off by the end I felt my time was never wasted.

I found myself highlighting so many passages, it’s unbelievable. I will miss this group and all they taught me.

This book is American, this book is international, this book is familial. This book will ring true for those that are parents, children, siblings, and anyone who cares about this world and feels life deeply.

In other words, everyone should read this book.