The Rich People Have Gone Away is an ambitious novel set in NYC during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. NYC is hotspot for the virus so, Darla & Theo decide to escape the city and quarantine upstate; while hiking things quickly take a turn and Darla goes missing bringing a diverse cast of characters together as they try to find her. Porter does a fantastic job at writing an eclectic cast of characters whose stories jump off the page. I enjoyed each character, even Theo lol but, as far as their interconnected relationships it was a miss for me. This was a unique prose I have never read anything like it. The portrayal of the pandemic and the different experiences each character had with Covid was so well done and realistic. I imagined future generations reading this novel and them being blown away by the events that transpired the Spring of 2020. I enjoyed this novel, but at times the multiple pov’s made the story feel a bit disjointed. This is a character driven story, and the suspense/ mystery are a backdrop to the characters so, if you pick this up expecting a classic who done it mystery this will not meet your expectations, but I encourage you to do read it because of the cast of characters and it is very well written. Many thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth for an advance copy in exchange for honest review.

I thought the synopsis of The Rich People Have Gone Away sounded really interesting. Unfortunately the writing style isn’t working for me - told in small vignettes and jumping around between characters is keeping me distant from all of them. Thank you to the publisher for the free book to review.

The Rich People Have Gone Away by Regina Porter is a phenomenally unique read. This literary mystery is set in the early days of the 2020 pandemic and kept me guessing the entire way through the novel. I enjoyed how the pandemic itself is a character in the novel, it added to the uncertainty of the story. This would be such a great book for a book club because there are so many topics to unpack around race, class, gender, equity and relationships. I cannot wait to read this with my book club!

I loved her first book and was so excited about this one. It did not disappoint! This book tackles a lot of different issues with grace. I loved this!

Here is my review for the rich people have all gone by Regina porter .. thank you so much bet galley for allowing me to read this book in advance in the change for an honest review

If you can imagine the worst people you know thinking they’re important, then you know what this book was. There were viewpoints that didn’t matter or hold weight to the story, unnecessary background, and the absolute most miserable main characters you’ll acquaint yourself with. The only redeeming character was Tabitha and her side story also made no difference to the story at large. The author wanted to do a lot but it wasn’t cohesive.

This one was tough for me. I think the scope of the book is kind of too large? We keep going on character side quests, which are somewhat interesting (especially Ruby’s), but for some reason the Xavier/Irvin plots did not click at all for me. I also don’t really know what we were trying to achieve in this book besides just do a “slice of life” kind of book, which I usually love. But this one was extremely disjointed. I’m giving it 3-stars because I do think it’s well-written but the plot is 2-2.5 for me.

What a weird book. From the description, I thought this would be a missing person mystery set during Covid. I appreciated the characterization and descriptions. The stories themselves seem disjointed and unrelated, although they are loosely related to each other. My brain kept trying. To make them connect more. I think it was strange and uncomfortable that the main characters were polyamorous. Maybe I am small minded or judgmental, but that’s just something I don’t understand. Maybe that was supposed to intentionally make me uncomfortable, I don’t know.

Ironically I read this while being sick with COVID-19 and quarantining in Iowa.

I was left with a lot of questions, but this was still a worthy read.

Thanks to @neggalley and @randomhouse for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published August 6,2024

A raw surprising opening that though shocking drew me in.New York city the pandemic an interesting cast of characters.A couple escaping the city heading upstate she is pregnant they head out for a walk something is revealed and she walks away and disappears.The search for her the people involved kept me involved turning the pages.#netgalley #randomhouse

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this novel. I don't know what I was expecting but this was super unique. Although it was hard for me to focus while reading it, I did enjoy the conclusion.

"The Rich People Have Gone Away" exceeded all my expectations, making it an incredibly enjoyable read. Initially drawn to the plot about a woman who goes missing in 2020, I was thrilled to find that the real depth of the book lies in its exploration of each character's backstory. Regina Porter does an excellent job of weaving these narratives together, showing how interconnected everyone's lives are. A seemingly minor character ends up with a rich storyline, illustrating how everyone has their own universe and story.

Porter vividly captures the fear and uncertainty of the early months of COVID-19 in New York City, highlighting how race, class, and gender influenced people's experiences. The title underscores the reality that only the wealthy could afford to escape the city, leaving essential workers and the working class to face the pandemic with limited resources.

The book delves into various aspects of the pandemic, from racial disparities in health outcomes to debates over PPP loans. It also poignantly addresses September 11th, paralleling it with the collective trauma of COVID-19 without feeling gratuitous.

The plot's direction was surprising and engaging, and the ending subtly referenced the ongoing events of 2020. Porter's seamless integration of social issues like white privilege and male privilege adds depth to the story.

Thanks to Random House/Hogarth and NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

This might be a love it or hate it read for many because it's very much a kaleidoscope with a central plot about a missing woman. Sort of. Set in New York City and state during the early days of the pandemic, it's the story of Theo and Darla, who have an open marriage and a lot of anger and what happens when she walks away from him. It's also the story of their neighbors, some of whom are more interesting and likable than the couple. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.

I like the title, referring to Covid-19, which sets the stage excellently for an interesting plot. However, I didn't understand how Theo is 30% "African and Native American," it was never explained how many generations back his black namesake existed; and yet the basis of this story's central theme is how this news, or the delivery of this news, by present-day Theo to his newly pregnant wife Darla sets off their violent parting and the authorities' search into her disappearance, and all the very many other families who are affected or tangentially involved in the aftermath. Also I didn't understand how Theo's wife put up with his egoism and promiscuity, or what she gained in return. It was alluded to that Nadine and Irvin Curtis (or maybe it was Nadine's parents, Geraldine and Skip Spaulding, or perhaps Ruby's parents, Frida and Ulysses?) also had an open marriage; I was frustrated that I couldn't keep enough characters memorized, or that too many of them had been introduced to me. The photo illustrations were confusing for me too, because I knew they couldn't be actual depictions of fictional characters, so wondering who they exactly were proved distracting in my case; but that's probably a me problem.

I like the rough ending here, it's more brilliantly lifelike than Hollywood. It's as if the author touched upon each and every input that led to the BLM movement and moment in America's history, without actually naming it or putting it in the story as such.

From reading about Regina Porter's other novel, The Travelers, I can see that complex multi-layered storylines involving a multitude of character sets is her go-to format. She is clearly a gifted writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work in future.

Review posted on StoryGraph and Goodreads on 7/24/24. Review will be posted to Amazon on release date.
Holy fever dream Batman. This novel told through short vignettes of various interconnected characters explores race, history, family, and friendship during the pandemic. When Theo and his wife Darla get into a fight out on the trails in upstate New York, a fight ensures leaving Darla frightened and fleeing into the woods. Her disappearance brings interrogation and eyes onto what has been happening.

This book tried to do a lot of things all at once. We had 9/11, racism, COVID, upward mobility, polyamory, and a whole lore more in one novel. While I felt like there was a lot happening that kept me in the book it felt disjointed and I found myself asking why all of these different moments were necessary to tell the story.

Couldnt even get through a chapter - very offensive/gross start. I was reading on a plane and totally shocked - maybe thats ideal for some readers but i dont care about the characters enough to continue.

"The Rich People Have Gone Away" by Regina Porter

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Hogarth for permission to read this work before publication.

TW: identity theft, domestic violence, abandonment, death, drug use

Porter centers this novel around three families in Brooklyn facing life in lockdown, in March/April 2020. We all remember that as a scary, unstable time when even the things most familiar to use felt foreign. The story seems to revolve around pregnant Darla, her bisexual husband Theo and the unspoken tension in their marriage. When an argument goes to far, Theo is suspected of killing his wife and is faced with his perceptions of his race and family. Irving and Xavier are managing life without wife/mother Nadine, who contracts the virus and is hospitalized for weeks. Ruby, a childhood friend of Ruby's, is struggling to keep a business open with her partner Katsumi when most businesses were shutting down.

There were moments that I enjoyed in this novel and found thought-provoking, but the end felt too preachy and the piece worked a little bit too hard to wedge multiple identities for its characters. People are varied but these characters had a mille-feuille quality that felt like diversity for the sake of diversity. I think many millennials will appreciate the perspective of living through 9/11, then the stock market crash, and then the pandemic. I found it to be good, but not great.

The first few months of the Covid pandemic in New York City were interesting. I stopped going to the grocery store, I took solo walks in a nearby park, and I didn't stop working the entire time. It's not something I want to revisit, so "The Rich People Have Gone Away" was a flashback for me.

While the writing was engaging, I found Theo to be completely insufferable. Just...what a prick. The central plot of a missing woman wasn't able to carry through on the off chapters and there were just one too many side characters. While race was a huge focus, I couldn't get over how...terrible Theo spoke about it. It felt pandering.

I feel like this book will be a hit in Brooklyn, Park Slope specifically. It wasn't for me.....I left that neighborhood 10 years ago.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I really expected to love this one but it was not for me. The disorienting writing style, along with the hyper specific references to the early pandemic, made it too tough of a read for me.

This was the first book I’ve read that integrated the pandemic into the narrative and it was interesting to see the way that it affected a location and the people there, without it becoming the center of the story. The author did a wonderful job of creating and bringing alive the setting and I loved getting to get insights into many different people all connected by a shared setting.

I loved seeing COVID as like a side shadow in the story instead of a fully line of narrative. Theo, what an asshole. I was rooting for his wife every step of the way. I love the intricate stories, the friendship, the very real biased assumptions that are made when people of privlege exist in the world. Absolutely add to our TBR ASAP.