The Frequency of Living Things: A Novel
A heartbreaking American epic about three sisters who unearth lifetimes of family tensions as they are forced to rescue one of their own from peril, testing the limits of sacrifice, sisterhood, and forgiveness from the author of the “profound work of great wisdom” (Alice Elliott Dark) The Great Transition.
Josie may be the youngest sister, but she takes care of everyone. She is the left-brained scientist to her twin sisters’ right-brained artistic chaos. She makes sure their rent gets paid on time, they make their therapy appointments, and has also been their de-facto band manager since she was a teenager. When Ara, her middle sister (by a few minutes), calls from jail, it isn’t exactly a surprise, and Josie knows exactly how to snap into action.
Emma is the quintessential frontwoman, complete with looks and attitude. But the success of The Twins’ first (and only) album—gold records, Grammy nominations, and diehard fans—is two decades behind her. Hiding under the surface of her swagger is a long-held guilt that has turned her into her sister’s enabler. Emma knows she needs Ara’s creative genius and thinks a jailhouse record could be just the thing to get Ara her freedom and their band back on the main stage.
Ara is detoxing, not only from her opioid habit but also from her family. The truth is, as crazy as it sounds, she’s not in a hurry to get out of lock-up. In the most unlikely and dangerous of places, this could be her chance to face the demons of her past and disentangle herself from her family.
Bertie, who raised her three daughters as a single mother, has always taught them that family won’t always be around to take care of you. A former defense attorney and perennial do-gooder, she’s committed to taking care of everyone less fortunate even if that means putting her girls’ needs second. But now Bertie must decide if she should reenter her daughters’ lives in their greatest time of need—or watch to see if the resilience she’s taught them will help carry them through.
A story both intimate and sweeping, The Frequency of Living Things explores the timeless question of how our individual destinies are intertwined with our family, our siblings, and our history no matter how we try to untangle ourselves from them.
Josie may be the youngest sister, but she takes care of everyone. She is the left-brained scientist to her twin sisters’ right-brained artistic chaos. She makes sure their rent gets paid on time, they make their therapy appointments, and has also been their de-facto band manager since she was a teenager. When Ara, her middle sister (by a few minutes), calls from jail, it isn’t exactly a surprise, and Josie knows exactly how to snap into action.
Emma is the quintessential frontwoman, complete with looks and attitude. But the success of The Twins’ first (and only) album—gold records, Grammy nominations, and diehard fans—is two decades behind her. Hiding under the surface of her swagger is a long-held guilt that has turned her into her sister’s enabler. Emma knows she needs Ara’s creative genius and thinks a jailhouse record could be just the thing to get Ara her freedom and their band back on the main stage.
Ara is detoxing, not only from her opioid habit but also from her family. The truth is, as crazy as it sounds, she’s not in a hurry to get out of lock-up. In the most unlikely and dangerous of places, this could be her chance to face the demons of her past and disentangle herself from her family.
Bertie, who raised her three daughters as a single mother, has always taught them that family won’t always be around to take care of you. A former defense attorney and perennial do-gooder, she’s committed to taking care of everyone less fortunate even if that means putting her girls’ needs second. But now Bertie must decide if she should reenter her daughters’ lives in their greatest time of need—or watch to see if the resilience she’s taught them will help carry them through.
A story both intimate and sweeping, The Frequency of Living Things explores the timeless question of how our individual destinies are intertwined with our family, our siblings, and our history no matter how we try to untangle ourselves from them.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
The Frequency of Living Things by Nick Fuller Googins is an expansive book about three sisters facing life’s trials while dealing with their past. The twins, Emma and Ara, are the oldest and have been in a rock band together since high school. While they enjoyed tremendous success early in their careers, they have lost their spark and now play only local bars. Josie is the youngest sister and she is the caretaker. She makes sure the twins have a place to live. She runs the merch table at their shows and manages their band. Josie is a scientist but works full-time at Butterfly & Reptile World as a manager. When a crisis arises involving one of the sisters, Josie is always the one who steps up. Their mother, Bertie, is a former defense attorney. She wasn’t around for much of their childhood due to work or various charitable causes. Bertie appears for several chapters but believes in allowing her daughters to depend on themselves. She struggles with whether to intervene in the current crisis or not.
The pacing of this novel is slow to medium. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is very character-driven. I cared about the girls and what was happening in the story. I was never bored. I found Ara’s story arc interesting, especially the latter parts when she came to certain realizations about her life and the direction she wanted it to go. I also liked the way Josie & Emma’s characters developed toward the end, choosing to focus on the future rather than the past. The themes of family/generational trauma, grief, rape, co-dependency, and substance abuse were treated with care. I found the book both realistic and heartbreaking. However, there is a ribbon of hope tucked inside.
I will recommend this book to everyone who enjoys family/relationship fiction. Thank you to Simon & Schuster/Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The pacing of this novel is slow to medium. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is very character-driven. I cared about the girls and what was happening in the story. I was never bored. I found Ara’s story arc interesting, especially the latter parts when she came to certain realizations about her life and the direction she wanted it to go. I also liked the way Josie & Emma’s characters developed toward the end, choosing to focus on the future rather than the past. The themes of family/generational trauma, grief, rape, co-dependency, and substance abuse were treated with care. I found the book both realistic and heartbreaking. However, there is a ribbon of hope tucked inside.
I will recommend this book to everyone who enjoys family/relationship fiction. Thank you to Simon & Schuster/Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.