Julie C. reviewed on 11/10/2009 + 3 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

"Treetops," a compendium to Susan Cheever's brilliant, insightful "Home Before Dark," this second memoir is equally riveting. Ms. Cheever, who's previous book focuses mostly on her Pulitzer-winning father, John Cheever, does an equally stunning job of filling in many gaps, exploring her mother's disturbing family history and illustrating her own coming of age in the context of so much historical baggage. As in "Home Before Dark," Cheever shatters the seemingly idyllic, carefree facade of an affluent, "successful" American sub-culture. Fascinating themes include unrelenting sexism of an earlier time, anti-Semitism, class-ism, alcoholism and fractured families. Required reading for any Cheever fan.

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