Pineapple Street

A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)

By: Jenny Jackson

Narrated by: Marin Ireland

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times bestseller | A Good Morning America Book Club Pick

Chosen as a best book of the year by The New York Times | Time | NPR | USA Today | Elle | Harper’s Bazaar | Town & Country | Vogue | BBC | POPSUGAR | Goodreads | theSkimm

“The season’s first beach read, a delicious romp of a debut featuring family crises galore.”— The New York Times

“A delicious new Gilded Age family drama… a guilty pleasure that also feels like a sociological text.” —Vogue

A deliciously funny, sharply observed debut of family, love, and class, this zeitgeisty novel follows three women in one wealthy Brooklyn clan

Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old money Stockton family, followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood but giving up far too much in the process; Sasha, a middle-class New England girl, has married into the Brooklyn Heights family, and finds herself cast as the arriviste outsider; and Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can’t have, and must decide what kind of person she wants to be.

Rife with the indulgent pleasures of life among New York’s one-percenters, Pineapple Street is a smart, escapist novel that sparkles with wit. Full of recognizable, loveable—if fallible—characters, it’s about the peculiar unknowability of someone else’s family, the miles between the haves and have-nots, and the insanity of first love—all wrapped in a story that is a sheer delight.

©2023 Jenny Jackson (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A delicious new Gilded Age family drama—almost a satire—set in the leafy enclaves of Brooklyn Heights....A lighthearted book that captures a slice of New York society, a guilty pleasure that also feels like a sociological text, punctuated with very particular references to restaurants, preschools, nightclubs, and other pillars of urban life in 2023.” —Vogue

“Those who want to eat the rich may salivate while reading Pineapple Street...This breezy read is the bookish equivalent of an effervescent Netflix dramedy. Expect to be entertained.” –The Wall Street Journal

“A smart comedy of manners… The moment when a good writer transforms an everyday detail about cheese cubes into an observation about the casual cruelties of class hierarchy — remains as jolting as getting or throwing a pie in the face. Here’s to being the thrower!” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

I couldn’t get enough of these characters

I’ve seen reviews that felt otherwise, but I think every character in this book is so well-developed that you can’t help but connect with them, regardless of their wealth. I’m sorry to see this one end. Will definitely look for other books from this author. Last but not least, Marin Ireland was as amazing as always.

An Enjoyable Listen

This is a fun listen as we get to know the Stocketon family who are a rich family living in Brooklyn. The three points of view are two of the adult Stockton children, Darley and Georgiana and their sister-in-law, Sasha. The writing is well done and things move along at a good pace. There are plenty of reasons to keep listening. It is often funny, but their are real-life issues too. Marin Ireland is a treat to listen to, and I always enjoy her books.

I struggled to get into it

It was a struggle to care very much about the characters. I guess that I learned a lot about how a wealthy family managed, but who cares? Really.

Light and Enjoyable Book

The story was good. A light Summer type book that had me chuckling at some points. The narration was excellent.

Slow to start, more depth near the end

I expected to be pulled right into the story but it was difficult to really like any of the characters for a long time. Felt the “outsider” character’s reaction was not genuine—no true anger at her spouse for allowing his family to call her names and not stand up for her when she’s pregnant!? Ugh, doormat. Expected more

Such a great read laying on the patio. Recommend highly

Such a great read laying out soaking up the sun. People do come around in this promising time

Oh to be rich

Charming story about one percenters! I love the reader so she helped the story! I think most of us will read this and say I wish I had these problems

Loved it

What a great book to listen to as I travel for work. It was very entertaining.

Not great

It was hard to get invested in the characters since they weren’t exactly relatable. I’d skip it.

Okay

Okay, quick read but the story isn’t that interesting, and is predictable and starts slow