The Last Romantics is a novel written by Tara Conklin. It tells the story of the Skinner siblings, Renee, Caroline, Joe, and Fiona, who are profoundly affected by an event that takes place during their childhood. The book explores themes of love, loss, family dynamics, and the lasting impact of significant moments in our lives.

The story is narrated by Fiona Skinner, the youngest sibling and a renowned poet. The novel begins in 2079 when Fiona is giving a talk about her famous poem “The Love Poem,” which was inspired by her personal experiences. She reflects on her life and the events that shaped her as she recounts the story of her family.

The narrative then shifts back to the year 1981 when the Skinner siblings’ father unexpectedly dies. This event, known as “The Pause,” marks a turning point in their lives. Their mother, Noni, falls into a deep depression, leaving the four siblings to navigate their way through adolescence with little parental guidance.

As they grow older, each sibling copes with their own struggles and finds solace in different ways. Renee becomes a successful therapist but struggles with her own relationships. Caroline becomes a steadfast and responsible figure for her siblings but sacrifices her own dreams in the process. Joe, the only brother, becomes a renowned surgeon but battles with addiction and emotional detachment.

Fiona’s narration delves into the complex dynamics between the siblings as they face challenges and make choices that shape their lives. She explores themes of love and intimacy through her relationships with various partners throughout her life. Fiona’s journey as a poet also serves as a backdrop for examining the power of art and its ability to capture emotions and experiences.

Throughout the novel, Conklin explores how individual choices can have far-reaching consequences on both personal relationships and future generations. The Last Romantics examines the complexities of family bonds and how they can both support and hinder personal growth.

• The Last Romantics

• A Novel
• By: Tara Conklin
• Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

In the spring of 1981, the young Skinner siblings – fierce Renee, dreamy Caroline, golden boy Joe and cautious Fiona – lose their father to a heart attack and their mother to depression, events that push them into a period they would later call “Pause”. Caught between the predictable life they once lived and an uncertain future stretching ahead, two brothers overcome the dangers and resentments of Pause to become fiercely loyal and capable. deep relationship.

Two decades later, the Skinners find themselves again faced with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices they have made and correct. What will they do for love?

Told almost a century later by her youngest brother, famous poet Fiona Skinner, The Last Romantics spans a lifetime. It’s a story of sex and affection, sacrifice and selfishness, deep principles and broken expectations, a lost engagement ring, a squandered baseball scholarship, summers unattended at the neighboring pond, and a collection of iconic love poems. But most of all, it’s the story of Renee, Caroline, Joe and Fiona: how they support each other, how they betray each other, and how they mend broken bonds.

Following the vein of Commonwealth, Little Fire Everywhere, and Home, this is a gentle, poignant, panoramic novel about a devoted, imperfect family. The Last Romantics is an unforgettable exploration of the responsibilities we gracefully and reluctantly shoulder and the all-important, ever-complicated definition of love.

I always will look at at a book that Cassandra Campbell has narrated, she is one of my favorites, and I think does such a great job with any story. The same was true here. The story caught my attention from the beginning, the story of the 4 siblings and their unusual upbringing, and how it affected them throughout their lives. I really enjoyed the story, with one caveat I felt as though it really floundered a little bit after “the accident” (don’t want to give away spoilers). It was almost metaphorical..the siblings floundered after the accident, and so did the book. However, it did recover nicely, and I thought wrapped things up overall by the end. The setting of the older Fiona giving a lecture in the future I thought was a bit irrelevant. It brought nothing to the story, but always giving the expectation that some big “reveal” was going to happen, but never did. I think telling the story as a memoir point of view would have been fine. Overall, the story was very good, and the narrator was superb, definitely give this one a try!

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