Wow. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of this book. I write my own opinion of this book- which is summed up as wow.

For those that need a trigger warning- there is child abuse in this novel. It gets dark at times, fortunately not graphic but dark.

The characters in this book are so unbelievably perfectly imperfect. They’re all just putting one foot in front of the other but they are so real. There were so many times I was struck by a sentence or phrase that was so descriptive I had to stop and just mull it over. That’s a rarity for me especially since I usually listen to audiobooks. Instead I found myself procrastinating a bit longer to read another chapter because I didn’t want to leave these characters. I still don’t. I’d happily continue if that was an option.

A gut punch of a story. A heart-wrenching meditation on generational trauma and how failing to heal ourselves can affect our loved ones. It’s a poignant tale with remarkably compelling characters and I was surprised that so much heart could be packed between less than 300 pages. It’s a heavy novel that can be difficult to consume and may cause readers to want to step back but in those instances, I found myself leaning in more.

Thank you Little A Publishing and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 05/06/2025.

4 ⭐️

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley!

Set in New York, we chronologically follow the Linden family through decades of generational secrets and wrongs. This is one of those books that you fall in love with the writing first. It was beautiful and eloquent and painted so many pictures. The plot went at such a nice cadence as the family members navigate betrayals.

I've known Nicola Kraus for her fun, lighthearted novels. I was intrigued when I discovered her new book, that sounded quite different from the others.

I was not disappointed. The Best We Could Hope For is a deeply moving, intimate, unapologetic insight into a family traumatised over generations.

There are no rose-tinted glasses with this story. Every character is flawed, damaged by the past and others and so beautifully and tragically human. Many of them are victims and culprits at the same time. It is impossible not to feel moved by their fates.

Okay, I will preface this by saying I didn't know the author of The Nanny Diaries (which I have never read but was forced to once watch the movie and swiftly forgot it existed) could write something so dark, and poignant, and profound about families and the way trauma is passed down through generations and I know this is because I am a judgmental asshole sometimes so here I am saying, I highly recommend this novel. I want to stay with the characters and could have read about them for way longer and I already miss them.

Cheers to the publishers and netgalley for the arc. Everyone should read this when it comes out next May if you like the aforementioned darkness.

This was heartbreaking to me. As a mom, I feel like I’m biased that anyone can leave their child- however, I do like the characters in search of their past

I wouldn't say I liked the writing style or structure, but that aside
This book was depressing and confusing.
I barely finished it.
I would not recommend it to anyone unless I want them
To bore to tears.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5. The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. This novel starts in the 1950s when we meet Jayne. She heads off to Radcliffe, happily leaving her parents and younger sister Bunny behind. Bunny runs away quickly and they chalk it up to her being a Beatnik. Jayne meets a promising young Harvard man, and soon they are living on the Upper West Side while he works at the New York Times. Jayne can’t seem to get pregnant but she concentrates on being a terrific hostess. The early part of the novel gave me Mad Men vibes, and I loved it. Bunny reappears with three children in tow. All the children have different fathers, and Bunny is a mess. She leaves the children with Jayne and her busy husband, promising to return. Years and years go by. Jayne raises these babies with so much love and adds one of her own to the clan. Bunny eventually reappears and the whole family implodes. Horrible accusations are made and the family is permanently divided. As adults, all the children are still floundering and Jayne is still concentrating on dinner parties. Extra points for terrific cover art, however the latter half of the book didn’t thrill me. Dysfunction runs deep with this family. Tough to read at times. Only a 3.5. #bookstagram #nicolakraus #whatiread #bookgram #reading #bookworm #netgalley #arc #goodreads #books #madmen #justok

I wanted to like this novel more than I did. The characters and plot felt a bit too familiar, and the writing was not as fresh and vivid as it could be. I enjoyed the setting and use of place and time.

This was a beautifully written novel with an extremely rough subject matter. Not exactly a feel good novel, but definitely an important novel.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202644784

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for an unbiased review.

I felt that this book had me on an emotional rollercoaster the whole time I was reading it.

I think this story could have been split into two books to really focus on the two different characters/timeline.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy immersing themselves in to a family's life and drama.

Whew, this was a sad and depressing novel. I definitely need a palette cleanser after reading it. So much trauma and drama. It left me feeling depressed and so down with very little payoff in the end.

This novel follows a couple of characters - Jayne in the beginning chapters of the book and ending with Lin (her daughter). Jayne has a blended family growing up and this plays a huge role in who she is and the decisions she makes. After she is married, her estranged comes around with her 3 kids and tells her she needs Jayne to take care of them for awhile. Jayne feels obligated and like she owes her sister this favor, so she says yes.

*I really liked this novel up until then, but then once things started falling apart, it was one traumatic thing after another*

I can't really say much more without giving away what happens once her sister "Bunny" arrives back to see her children, but there's ALOT of drama. And this affects Jayne biological daughter Lin in ways that are irreversible. It is quite sad and pathetic. I started hating Jayne once Bunny came back and I basically hated her all the way through until the epilogue.

What I will say is THIS NEEDS MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS. Had I known what issues this covers, I probably would have skipped past it. If you have any abuse history or are sensitive to abuse (sexual and within the family), then this will be a very difficult novel to read. I can't believe there isn't a trigger warning anywhere yet.

In conclusion, this book made me mad and depressed. It wasn't necessarily redeeming in any way, which is what I expect from books that cover this sensitive topic. Therefore, I can't recommend this based on that alone. I didn't feel better when I closed the last page. I just felt like I peeked inside a really sad family life. And I wish I hadn't.

This was a beautiful, sad, poignant book. The book, and the characters drew me in from the first page. The novel spans decades, with the book mainly based on sisters Bunny and Jayne Linden. At 16, Bunny runs away from home, leaving Jayne wondering went wrong and why her sister sister left. As the book progresses, we learn that the sisters both hold secrets from their past that affects every moment of their present. Bunny returns, but with three children. She leaves them with Jayne, who raises them as her own. Of course, Bunny returns, Years later, and it's then that the family is torn apart. Choices are made, and we learn that our memories aren't always what we believe, but they shape us regardless.
This is a spellbinding book, and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Little A and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a complex book about family secrets and the damage they do over generations. The first thing I want to say is this book needs to come with several trigger warnings, there are several heavy subjects that are covered that can be quite upsetting the primary being childhood abuse/SA. This book can be unsettling. The primary character of Linden and her self discovery can be long winded and often confusing but the ending and discovery at the end left the reader with a feeling of a story that while dark had a “satisfactory” ending. If you’re a fan of twisty/multi generational dark traumatic stories this book will interest you but proceed with caution. Divorce, abuse, parental alienation are all triggers

I really enjoyed The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus. This story follows multiple generations of a family. A very dysfunctional family with a lot of trauma I might add. We go through several decades and we learn how child abuse can affect every member of a family/extended family psychologically. There were some characters I would have loved to know more about as they pop in and out and some never to return or you don't get to know their "whys." And I would have loved to read more of Bunny's side of things. Overall, I recommend The Best We Could Hope For to anyone who enjoys immersing themselves into books about family drama.

I did enjoy this book, although I found it hard to settle into, the storyline was good but there almost seemed to be too much description and ‘chatter’ in a fast paced frantic way. A bit like watching The West Wing, everything seemed to be buzzing with everyone talking at once. Also there were big leaps forward without things being finished. That said the author has taken a frightening theme, child abuse, and shown the psychological effects on more than just the victim as it impacts on the whole family. All the characters are wonderful and very individual, I would have liked to have more time to meet each of them to learn their stories rather than jumping from childhood through adolescence to adulthood where we then find their problems and how they handle life. A satisfying end leaving things neatly tied up, but with the future opening up for the main characters to go forward and live their lives.

I love historical fiction that follows one particular family through generations. This book had a lot going for itself, maybe a little too much in my opinion. But it was always entertaining and it was fast to get through.

This novel is a stunning, powerful story of a family and how generational trauma stains an entire family history.

The book had a nice pace, but I almost would have liked two separate books… I would have liked to spend more time with each of the characters. I wanted more time with Jayne and Bunny, more time with Lin and Sage. With that said, the author does a beautiful job of showing the differences between generations, especially highlighting how secrets can destroy the very thing that keeps the family unit together.

This book is a warning. To anyone raising littles… protect your babies by healing yourself. Find the answers behind your behaviour, and move forward with love and peace. We don’t have to keep repeating the cycles. We don’t have to pass down the trauma.

There were parts about this book that I enjoyed and parts that I didn't.

First things first, the plot of the book was well constructed and the pace was effective, for the most part. It did start to lag and drag on towards the middle of the book and only picked back up again in the last few chapters.

This book covers a few decades of time and i feel it could have benefited being split into two books. The first one focusing on Jayne and the second focusing on Linden.

I commend this author's attention to detail and the realistic portrayal of the decades in which she wrote about, both the setting and the societal attitudes.

There were quite a few strong, moving and quotable passages throughout the book about like as a woman, motherhood and societal expectations that are placed on women.

the strong drawback that I faced was the lack of trigger warning awareness about child sexual abuse that readers were not pre-warned about going into the book. A lot of readers may have trouble with this topic, even though it was never detailed in the book.

This book really showcases how your behaviour, experiences and influence can shape your child in such a profound way. It is a good warning to any parent to be mindful about the attitudes that you have and how you go about raising your children. The portrayal of passed down generational trauma robbed Linden of much of her life and experiences. Seeing Linden struggle on a daily bases because of the trauma that Jayne passed on is a welcome warning to anybody that is raising young people. Your words and actions have lasting impacts, so make them count.

overall I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating.

WOW….
I’m kinda exhausted!
Whew …that feeling one gets when having been fully immersed in a good book.
I am impressed with the ambition it had to take to write this novel.
Congratulations to Nicola Kraus.
As a reader, I definitely picked up on her passion to tell this story.
Much of it works. It’s an engrossing story of endless chaos.
However, some of the writing is overly excessive with too many serious issues to examine thoroughly— yet— however, (again, however) …. the humanity in this story - the real. I can never fault that!!

Everything, including the kitchen sink gets at least a nod in this generational family story.
….Tears over a missed dinner?
….Surprises in marriage?
….How to be married? (a good husband-wife-or parent?)
….How to be separated, collect alimony and child support?
….deal with an and satisfying job?
….how to fix being unable to get pregnant?
….how to stop racism?
….how to deal with miscarriages?
….concern for voting rights?
….keep a job-get a job?
….write a book-be successful-rather than an asshole?
….buy a home?
….celebrate holidays?
….get an education?
….deal with adolescent?
….deal with middle age?
….family boundaries?
….sibling rivalries?
….raise healthy children?
….participate in charity
functions?
….safeguard democracy?
….deal with mental health issues?
….drug issues?
….fidelity issues?
….guilt?
…neglect?
…. justifications?
….accused of a crime?
….AIDS scare?
….new relationships come and go?
….learn tips from the therapist. (dissociate)?
…. deal with unsustainable, untenable, impossible situations?
….deal with a narcissists?
….eating disorders?
….estrangement?
…. anxiety disorders?
….advocate woman’s rights?
….be a friend?
….be a sexual human being?
….deal with changes, loss, struggles, love, and LIFE?/!?

I found the writing ‘interesting’.
There were connecting type sentences throughout.
Example:
“Through this searing, solid air, the sound pullulates. A harsh wall that strips her eardrums and lacerates her brain, scouring her from the inside”.

Some paragraphs were long
I had to read them twice… in order to contemplate the point.
Example:
“She’s waiting for her gallerist’s name to be called by the hostess in a scrum of people, umbrellas, dripping on squelching shoes, wet wool evoking childhood games of hide-and-seek, women pointlessly fussing at hair they correctly suspect has betrayed them, a tight pool of light corralling them all together, tired New Yorkers who are all somehow vying to pay to eat”.

Some paragraphs and scenes were fun to read.
The line between humor and tragic couldn’t be expressed better:
“Each day Jayne is an adrenalized whiplash of failure and achievement, the highs exalted—Brian burping, a validating crescent of white
sputum flying down his front. Or Sage putting her head on Jayne’s shoulder as she repairs Rogers clothes at the kitchen table. While the lows leave her sobbing on a side street—a broken toy in her hand, a spilled bottle down her coat, a lost sock—all a final verdict on Jayne Donoghue”.

A funny:
“How many beige cardigans did one woman need”.

Less funny (tragically sad):
Jayne’s sister, Bunny is long gone. Perhaps out west, or Mexico. Perhaps downtown, or across town, or really anywhere. Perhaps Bunny is still getting pregnant. Jayne hopes not.
Rescuing the first three kids of Bunny’s was more than enough.

My overall thoughts.
I enjoyed it!
I feel it has some flaws — but they are forgiving.
I also feel a warm heart for the author. This is my first time reading Nicola’s work.
Nicola Kraus is only 49 years old (I’m 72).
Her accomplishments inspire me.
This is the first book I’ve read by Nicola.

Nicola Kraus has co-authored with Emma McLaughin, ten novels, including the international #1
bestseller ‘The Nanny Diaries’,
plus ‘Citizen Girl’, ‘Dedication’, and ‘So Close’. Nicola has
contributed to the ‘Times’,
‘The New York Times’, etc.
Very impressive ambitious woman!!

Note:
I loved the “Author’s Notes” too