Hope

Hope by Andrew Ridker
1/30/25; 433 pages
Duckworth Books/Farrago

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.

Originally published by Viking in 7/23 this review is for the kindle edition being released on1/30/25. Thanks to Farrago for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.