Meet the Newmans

Meet the Newmans: Dinah, Del and their boys, Guy and Shep. They are the quintessential 1950s nuclear family both on and off screen. Or so everyone (including Dinah) thinks. Their daily lives are regulated by studio jockeys and headstrong Del. Their studio set is an exact replica of their home (or vice versa). Del writes, produces and directs the weekly sit-com in which they live, but the boys have growing pains, and Dinah has progressive numbness and fantasies of an affair with the next-door neighbor. It’s all fun and games, until it isn’t.

Niven writes a captivating novel about waking up – both literally and figuratively. The Newmans’ stories are told in alternating voice, including that of a young female reporter, sent to show more capture the essence of Dinah’ hothouse life. The author’s descriptions of life in the 50s and 60s are spot on and are vivid enough for one to imagine being an insider to Hollywood action. She evokes the heyday of actors such as Doris Day, Cary Grant, Ozzie & Harriet, and sets like those used in Mad Men. This is a fast read, perfect for summer lazing. show less

Meet the Newmans is a quirky combination of historical fiction, family drama and feminism set in the 1960s. It’s quite unique in the way it tells the real life tales of an American sitcom family, drawing you past the façade behind the perfect family.

The story is told mainly by Dinah, matriarch of the Newman family. Every week, a perfect version of the Newman family is beamed in black and white across TV screens in America. Dinah’s role? Cook and clean. She doesn’t get to deliver the big wisdom that husband Del does. Her life is there to support Del and sones Guy and Shep while looking perfect in pearls. It’s been this way for years – even prior to television on radio. The story starts as real life Dinah is waiting for Del to show more come home, but he’s late. She’s burned the dinner she made (she can’t cook in real life). The studio is suggesting that the Newmans are no longer America’s favourite family, being stuck in the 1950s while revolution is starting in 1964. A TV critic has said the Newmans are over and a journalist suggests that Dinah is no longer a role model for the modern woman. So why won’t Del come home? After it becomes clear that an accident has occurred, the Newmans are in a tailspin. Dinah needs to take charge and find herself, while sons Guy and Shep are tired of keeping secrets and being ‘good’. The novel follows them all as the real Newmans rediscover who they are in real life.

I enjoyed this novel. It’s a fairly light hearted novel that touches on multiple topics that are of relevance today, such as LGBTQIA, teen pregnancy and feminism. There is a moment or two of Black feminism but it doesn’t make its way into the main narrative. Juliet, the journalist who interviewed Dinah who later becomes a friend of sorts, is the main character who shines a light on how 1964 L.A. is still very much for the (white) men. Initially, her inclusion feels distant and a bit forced, but as the story goes on her character becomes critical for showing Dinah what’s going on the real world. (Interestingly, the on and off screen Newmans are so similar that their houses are even the same. Slightly creepy, especially when you think that husband Del was 100% responsible for the show and wouldn’t let anyone, even his son, take a behind the scenes role. Was he a product of his time or ultra controlling?)

The Newman sons also have their own problems. Guy is stuck in the closet even though there is gossip that he’s more than friends with housemate Kelly. Shep is a singing teen idol, second only to the Beatles whose partying, drinking and womanising have caught up with him. Through chapters told from their perspective, the reader gains insight into what it’s like to be a forced child (and now adult) star. All the Newmans’ issues come to a head with an unexpected meetup, before (just like a sitcom) they come together to create their last show. It’s fun, and has a nostalgic spin to it while shining a light that maybe the 1960s weren’t so golden after all. I could have probably lived without the epilogue, but it’s a nice way to tie everything together.

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The Newmans are the perfect, American, television family. Del Newman is the ringleader, who has written, directed, and starred in their hit show since its debut. They have been on the air for twelve years when they are threatened with cancellation. With this recent news the family begin to question what their future looks like, especially when Del is in an accident. They must learn how to operate without him while he is in a coma. Del stressed the show must go on, and everyone steps up to the plate to make that happen. Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven, explores the real-world issues of the 1960’s with a comical and creative outlet in a television series.
While I enjoyed the concept of this book as a reader I craved more. I found show more redundancy in the mention of birth control accessibility and the absurdness of them playing their real-life selves on screen. It slowed the story, whereas more action would have propelled the story following the moments it lulled. The switching of perspectives caused a feeling of whiplash every few pages, plunging the reader into new internal dialogue. The perspectives I wanted: Dinah and Juliet. Those were the characters that worked really well. I would have loved a stronger focus on their dynamic and fight for feminism. I would be ignorant to ignore the many injustices of the sixties, but I believe a focus on one topic, executed really well would have been more impactful.
I had my complaints, but the conclusion was perfect. I loved seeing Del take a step aside and let the rest of his family shine. His new calmness after recovering was refreshing and allowed the rest of his family to be who they truly are. Guy admitting his love for his best friend, Shep confessing to having a child on the way. But most importantly Dinah being able to admit that she wants more for women and herself than she ever imagined. They learned they didn’t need his support while he was gone but with it they were able to grow and create something really magical. show less

I enjoyed this book a lot because of the characters. They all had their own secrets despite having lived their lives on television. The dialogue was funny and I kept reading to find out what would happen next.

My only issue is that some of the ways topics were discussed seemed too forward for the time period. This is supposed to be early 1964 and we have involved discussions regarding the women's movement and bringing all of this into the Newman's show and it just doesn't seem plausible. I get that there is a great deal of license taken when writing historical fiction but I wished the author might have addressed some of it in an afterward.

Otherwise, it was an enjoyable, fun book.

*ARC provided by Edelweiss+*

I was disappointed in this but it may have been that my expectations were wrong. It started by going backwards in time from the opening but after a few chapters changed to going forwards. Some of it went on too long in patches for me and I found it boring. I often have problems with American (and other non-British) books as I'm sure I'm missing some cultural references and other subtle nuances that I can appreciate and understand in British set books. By the end I think I had grasped the plot and the issues involved.

Dramatic, messy, and heartfelt. This book was a blast to read!