Fun for the Whole Family

A Novel

By: Jennifer E. Smith

Narrated by: Lauren Graham

“An engaging, heartwarming tale with larger-than-life characters readers are sure to connect with” (USA Today), from the bestselling author of The Unsinkable Greta James.

“A glorious novel of love in all its forms—familial, romantic, lost, and found. Jennifer E. Smith is a ray of literary sunshine.”—Jenny Jackson, author of Pineapple Street

The four Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude—were once inseparable, a bond created by the absence of their dazzling, mercurial mother, who would return for a few weeks each summer to whisk them off on sprawling road trips around the country.

Decades later, the unthinkable has happened: the Endicotts haven’t spoken in years . . . until an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. They’re each at a crossroads: Gemma, who put her own ambitions aside to raise the others, now isn’t sure if she wants to be a mother herself; Connor, a celebrated novelist, is floundering after his recent divorce and suffering from an epic case of writer’s block; and Roddy, at the tail end of a professional soccer career, is dangerously close to losing his future husband for the chance at one last season.

Jude is the only Endicott who seems to have it all together—but appearances can be deceiving. As the weekend unfolds, and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover that Jude has been keeping three secrets . . . each of which could change everything.

A captivating journey and an ode to forgiveness that takes readers across all fifty states, Fun for the Whole Family brims with heart and resonates long after the final page.

Critic reviews

“An engaging, heartwarming tale with larger-than-life characters readers are sure to connect with.”—USA Today

“A hopeful, bittersweet ode to family and forgiveness.”—Bookreporter

“Fun for the Whole Family is a glorious novel of love in all its forms—familial, romantic, lost, and found. Jennifer E. Smith is a ray of literary sunshine.”—Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street

“Fun for the Whole Family is a captivating and joyful novel about siblings and family and the ties that bind us together. This is Jennifer E. Smith at her absolute best.”—Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me

“A layered family drama . . . This novel is a page-turner, and readers will root for each of the [Endicott] siblings.”—Booklist, starred review

“A bittersweet story about finding one’s purpose . . . Smith’s novel, which moves back and forth in time, asks serious questions about chasing one’s dreams and how that may impinge upon family responsibilities.”—Library Journal

Kinda predictable but still good

I love a sibling dynamic but this book I kinda knew what was coming minus the end I was a little teary eyed

My new favorite author

I loved The Unsinkable Greta James and loved this even more. The way Jennifer E. Smith captures the joy, frustration and heartbreak of siblings and family is something to behold. I cried multiple times, especially at the end - a truly beautiful and touching story.

Amazing Narration

I loved the narration by Lauren Graham. She did an excellent job as I knew she would. The story was a little hard to follow at times, but I think it might have been easier had I been reading it instead of listening to it. In the end, the story came together, amazingly and touchingly. Great book!

A story for all siblings

This is such a well-written, thoughtful and heartfelt story! I loved it and recommended it to many others!

Gave me Chills of Emotions

I really enjoyed the flow of this book. How the author writes the story was easy to follow and painted a really good picture of the history of the family. You are able to understand the complexities of the emotions each character is feeling because you get a better idea of their past and upbringing. I had chills listening to the ending.
Lauren Graham reading the book was the icing on the cake because her voice is comforting to me and feels like a safe place. I recommend this book to anyone with a complex family dynamic.