There must be something about January that make me choose to read books about awful, upper-class families who have terrible things happen to them. Or at least, terrible by their standards. Last year, it was Maggie Shipstead’s ‘Seating Arrangements’; this year, it’s Hope by Andrew Ridker.
Hope follows the fortunes of an upper-middle class Boston family and explores how one primary incident impacts upon each of them. That incident is the father, Scott’s transgressions when it comes to partaking in drug trials in his clinic. Falsifying records, he ends up in hot water and having his medical licence revoked.
What follows are four strong character studies of how this incident, and other ancillary ones, affect them.
Scott’s story brings us back before the opening chapter to explain what he has done and why – aging mother, scammed out of her money by an 18-year-old in Germany.
The opening chapter that precedes Scott’s story is very amusing, as a bunch of the Greenspan peers are forced to partake in a social experiment that sees one very vocal woman having nothing to eat but some rice.
Meanwhile, Deb has taken her and Scott’s open marriage beyond its original parameters, exploring her sexuality with the head of a local charter school; Maya has reconnected with a teacher with whom she has a questionable past relationship with; and Gideon, shattered by the charges against his father, among other things, is adrift in his life at university.
I think this book is very much about how much influence a parent can have on a person, and how was children or teenagers, so much can be misinterpreted or misunderstood. For Gideon, who idolises his father, it is a devastation when he learns about the medical charges against him, to the point where it derails his entire life for a time.
For Maya, an incident witnessed as a teenager sows discord between her and her mother but, taken with the context provided later on by Gideon, she realises that so many things make sense now that didn’t before.
If anything, the book is about how we never have the full picture unless there is togetherness. Each member of the family knows a snippet of the truth but the full story is only revealed when everyone knows everything.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this novel and, contrary to my usual response to these ‘rich family drama’ novels, I didn’t really dislike any of the main family characters. I thought the novel ended very much on a note of hope, though I did have a feeling of dread given the circumstances.
A solid read and a really well written selection of character studies.

My thanks to Duckworth Books, via NetGalley, for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A family saga told in four parts, which I ate up in one sitting. I would be interested to see how this plays as an audiobook because with the jumping perspective from each family member I imagine it would translate well. It reminded me so much of The Bee Sting, Family Family, At the Table and The Hole We're In all of which I loved.

Thank you to Duckworth Books, Farrago and NetGalley for the opportunity to read HOPE before it’s released on 30th January 2025!

Hope by Andrew Ridker is a recommended literary domestic drama.

"The year is 2013 and the Greenspans are the envy of Brookline, Massachusetts..." Scott Greenspan is a cardiologist overseeing a clinical trial and is caught falsifying data which starts the exposure of a series of scandals. His wife Deb works as a volunteer who helps resettle refugees. She also asked Scott for an open marriage so she can also be with her girlfriend. Their daughter Maya works in NYC for a publishing house and makes a series of bad choices. Their son Gideon, who wanted to be a doctor, drops out of college after his father's scandal and undertakes a dangerous journey.

The narrative is told through four different sections, each one focused on the point-of-view of one of the characters. The first is husband and father, Scott, second is daughter Maya, third is wife and mother Deb, and fourth and final is son Gideon. The story is told over the course of approximately a year. Each section opens with the time period covered.

The writing is good and there are some humorous and poignant moments but it also feels like the story has been told before. This is a drama but it is also an in-depth character study. Making this even more challenging was the fact that none of the characters are likable or engaging. Finally, the slow pace covering this family and their interpersonal relationships over a year made reading Hope a bit of a struggle at times. Perhaps some editing and tightening up the story would have helped.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The year is 2013, and everything is about to change for the Greenspan family.

Scott, the patriarch, is in need of money. With the pressure of supporting his narcissistic mother, he begins committing fraud at his medical practice. This plotline is a catalyst for much of HOPE’s narrative, but it ultimately bears little weight on Scott’s actual career. Instead, the emotional repercussions that stem from his deception lead to the Greenspans’ trouble.

His wife, Deb, has fallen in love with a woman, 5 years after asking for an open marriage. Her decision to commit to her partner Joan, has strong impacts on her children. Deb, who seems riddled with guilt, is deeply dedicated to bettering the world around her. Yet, she seems oblivious to much of the trouble brewing within her own household.

Their daughter Maya is struggling to find her bearings in the publishing industry. As she deals with the pressures of her job, relationship with her college boyfriend and family strife, Maya runs into an English teacher she fell in love with as a student. I found Maya’s plot line, of dealing with grooming and her loss of childhood naivety very compelling.

Finally, the youngest Greenspan, Gideon, is losing his identity. After basing much of his life around his parents’ expectations, his world begins to crumble after the revelation that Deb and Scott are not who he thought they were. Gideon’s story felt like one of self-discovery, and it was clear that he seemed the most impacted by the familial drama. That being said, Gideon’s storyline took a TURN that I was not prepared for. The last part of the novel was very different to where we started, but nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. I found it very powerful how Gideon, despite his desire to rebel against his parents still embodies aspects of their character: Deb, by committing himself to helping other (albeit in a more direct way), and Scott, by jumping to provide medical care.

This book felt reminiscent of Franzen’s works. It’s a very well-crafted story, and it sheds a lot of light on each member of the family. Each character had such a distinct voice, and all of their storylines felt very compelling. A fantastic work by Andrew Rider.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago for the ARC!

Hope tells the story of an all-American nuclear family: an ambitious doctor, a successful father, a naive daughter, and a mother deeply involved in the community. The family becomes embroiled in scandal, forcing each member to confront questions of morality, self-discovery, and betrayal. This dysfunctional family saga instantly reminded me of The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, with its multiple POVs and interwoven character arcs. However, where The Bee Sting built to a dramatic climax, Hope lacked the same impact, ending on an equally ambiguous note but without a definitive sense of closure.

Although I wasn’t rooting for any of the characters, this is what makes Ridker’s novel so compelling. While I wished karma would catch up with the Greenspans for their morally questionable choices, it was frustrating to see them let off too easily. However, Ridker’s ability to weave these complex arcs places this book high on my list.

A year or so in the life of the Greenspans. I believe the author wanted the story to play out just like life would, insomuch as, a lot happens but it also doesn’t. I was ok with this and the first half of the book flew by. I enjoyed the writing and contemporary setting (2014) and long chapters devoted to one characters story arc, I did come away feeling like I didn’t know any of them any better than at the start of the book though, and then I started to get bored with them all.
It’s an ok read overall but I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it

On the face of it this novel is an ordinary story about an ordinary family. It could be any of us. Nothing really exciting happens, there's no murders or car chases. However as Gideon says "It didn't feel like a novel, but it did feel like life."

The Greenspans are on the cusp of change at the start of Hope. Father Scott is balancing his mother's increasing demands on his money along with supporting his family and maintaining an open marriage. Wife Deb is juggling her new found interest in the same sex with her inability to find something to really engage her interest. Daughter Maya is struggling to find her way in the publishing world and her personal life; and son Gideon is desperate to make his father proud until he realises that sometimes parents are fallible too.

This novel really does feel like life. I felt really engaged with a family who I've nothing in common with. The writing is excellent and you're swept along with the difficulties they encounter, often of their own making - including some absolutely insane decisions.

If I have a criticism it's that there really wasn't enough of Scott's mother, Marjorie, who flits in and out of the book causing mayhem wherever she goes. Everyone should have a relative like Marjorie - I expect quite a lot of us do.

Definitely recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Duckworth Books for the advance review copy.

Hope is the story of multiple members of the same family. Greenspans are from Brooklyn, and they have each a distinctive personality.
Something major happens in their life which affects all of them.
I have mixed feelings about this one. The opening chapter with Scott and Marjorie was so gripping and fun, I expected the same from the rest.
Ridker’s writing shone in that chapter.
I had inconsistent impressions about rest of the novel - I enjoyed the contemporary setting, and the characters’ careers were interesting.

The book I thought I was reading at the start is not the same book it became at the end. This was a moving, introspective book that I enjoyed reading a lot. Each character within the core family had their own insight into the central storyline, I think I enjoyed Maya’s storyline the most. A great read.

I like the new cover and font for the title of Ridker's book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I tried to gather more information about my previous review but it wasn't online. The book does a deep dive into relationships among a family of a certain class.