Pineapple Street: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel

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What’s it about?

The Stockton family has happily lived in Brooklyn Heights on Pineapple Street for as long as they can remember. Chip and Tilda belong to a world of generational wealth and privilege- and their three adult children have known no other life. As Darley, Cord, and Georgianna age they must come to terms with their own attitudes about wealth- and the place it holds in their lives.

What did it make me think about?

What a world…. This book centers around a level of wealth that most of us will never know. It also highlights the Northeast and NYC which is quite a small world it seems. Fascinating!

Should I read it?

This was a fun novel about an interesting new phenomenon. What happens when the next generation does not see inherited wealth as a gift to maintain. What if instead they want to give away the fortune that generations have passed down? This story could have been preachy (or just made most readers gag) but the author deftly handles the material, and with kid gloves actually makes us see the humanity in the Stocktons. I myself was not a huge fan at first, but it was such an easy read I kept going. I am glad I did. My related books are all books that made me think about a topic in a different way- much like Pineapple Street.

Quote-

“Darley had noticed something about people with money: they stuck together. Not because they were intrinsically shallow or materialistic or snobbish, though of course those things could very well be true, but it was because when they were together, they didn’t have to worry about the differences their money meant in their lives. “

This is a character driven novel about the wealthy 1% in Brooklyn Heights. The author chose this setting because she lives there and there is a good sense of place woven into the book. There definitely is humor in the writing and it’s an interesting take to write solely from the perspective of women. The ending seemed to be a bit unrealistic in the “change” that occurs within Georgiana and the author uses the ending to espouse her political take on wealth and capitalism in our country so the characters sounded more like talking heads. I thought the concept of the millennials having a moral dilemma about inheriting wealth was really interesting- it just needed to be executed better.

Better than a 3 but not a four

I appreciated the writing style—it reminded me of Frederik Backman, with each chapter offering a third-person look into a different character’s inner world. But the story and characters fell flat. They were unlikable, and not just because they came from old-money New York. The author’s attempt to humanize them through philanthropy felt forced and unrealistic.

I must say it wasn’t my favorite. I expected more. While there were some funny moments, the portrayal of the super rich really stood out—they felt like pretentious, spoiled brats looking down on outsiders. The story had potential, but it missed the mark for me.