All This Could Be Yours

Legacy. Is Jami Attenberg’s novel titled, All This Could Be Yours, just another tale of family dynamics? Yes and no. Paterfamilias Victor Tuchman lies dying, and daughter Alex goes to New Orleans to be with her mother, Barbra, and to uncover the secrets of Victor’s life. Alex’s brother, Gary, decides to stay in Los Angeles and not come to the deathbed. Victor’s legacy is complicated and takes different forms. Absent Attenberg’s finely written prose, the outline of the story would produce a big yawn in most readers. As the secrets are revealed, we understand the source and form of this family’s dysfunction. For some readers, me included, a depressing story about the Tuchman family can lift one’s spirits. We’re all messed up in some way or another, and we can survive most of what life’s throws at us. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase All This Could Be Yours from amazon.com.