Meet the Newmans: A Novel

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Niven, a novel about America’s favorite TV family, whose perfect façade cracks, for fans of Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This program includes narration by actor and Audie Award–winning narrator Marin Ireland, who has appeared in The Irishman and Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.

"Narrator Marin Ireland delivers a standout performance in this historical fiction audiobook...Ireland engages listeners with her nuanced delivery in this audiobook that’s perfect for fans of Lessons in Chemistry." — Kirkus

“Marin Ireland offers a wonderfully nuanced narration from multiple points of view...She brings particular zing to the voice of Dinah...”—Library Journal (Starred Review)

“I loved Meet the Newmans!” —Judy Blume, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Warm, witty, and wise." —Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author

For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ idealized apple-pie perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb—literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and the charmed luck of rock ‘n roll idol Shep may have finally run out.

When Del—the creative motor behind the show—is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken, impassioned young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?

Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.

"[Marin] Ireland, a veteran audiobooks reader....creates strong personas for each of the main characters." — The Valley Breeze


A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books