The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney: book review

The Nest (2016) is set in America in contemporary times. It begins with an accident – a car accident – in which rich Leo Plumb and waitress Matilda are injured. Leo’s mother Francie, 72, pays for the repair of the Porsche, Leo’s hospital bills, and the prosthetic foot and insurance pay-out for Matilda. But she did not use her own money – she used the money her husband Leo Plumb Senior had saved as a nest egg for his children.

The nest egg – a joint trust fund called ‘The Nest’ – is an accumulation of money to be distributed to Leo Senior’s four children when they youngest turns forty: Leo 46, Jack 44, Beatrice 43, and Melody 40. Jack is partnered with Walker, Beatrice writes books, Melody has 16-year-old twins Louise and Nora with her husband Walter, and Leo is divorcing his wife Victoria.

Leo is the central character. Leo is a womanizer, a drug addict, and an outrageous party-goer. He is drawn toward Stephanie, the literary agent of his sister Beatrice.

The dysfunctional Plumb family has a financial problem. Melody has turned 40 and the funds are about to be distributed. But ‘The Nest’ has been significantly gutted – a paltry amount of money remains. Will Leo replenish the amount spent to pay for his accident or will he continue to drain the funds?

When the family finds out that they will receive only 10% of their expected amount, they are not happy with Leo. Not happy at all. Their dreams of how they were going to spend the money are in tatters. They have loans to pay, debts to clear, children that need college fees, and projects they hoped to get started with an injection of funds. Their financial realities are not pleasant. What is Leo going to do?

Leo goes missing.

This is a family fight about finances and frustrated dreams. Hopes are dashed – or can they reshape their lives?

I found this novel difficult to enjoy because the characters are egotistical and arrogant, intolerant and transparent, shallow and narrow-minded. Does financial loss change character – yes and no.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Shindi: the Georgian Cornelian cherry

The Cornelian cherry – shindi in Georgian – is a fruit with medicinal and decorative properties. It was grown from ancient times, according to the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). It is also commonly called the European cornel. It is native to southern Europe from France to Ukraine as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. The Cornelian cherry tree ( Cornus mas ) can be grown in orchards, but it is often seen in the forests of Georgia where it grows up to 1,350 metres above sea level. It is a medium to large deciduous tree, growing from 5-12 metres tall. The flowers are small with four yellow petals in clusters, which flower in February and March. The Cornus mas has three botanical varieties: (1) var. typica Sanadze with cylindrical red fruits, (2) var. pyriformis Sanadze with pear-shaped red fruits, and (3) var. flava vest with yellow fruits. The fruits are oblong red drupes about 2 centimetres ...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog