The Birthdays
By Heidi Pitlor
2007
First Published
2.85
Average Rating
368
Number of Pages
"Captivating, moving, painfully funny, and so very, very true."―Julia Glass On an island off the coast of Maine, the Miller family reunites to celebrate the father's seventy-fifth birthday. Each of the adult children is expecting a first child, and at the same time each is at a major crossroads in life. The eldest, Daniel, still reeling from a car accident that has left him a paraplegic, is also grappling with the fact that his wife had to be artificially inseminated. Jake, the middle child, discovers that his wife is carrying twins after many trying years of fertility treatments. Hilary - the free-spirited youngest daughter - arrives in Maine five months pregnant with no identifiable father in sight. As the family gathers, something shattering happens from which no one will emerge the same. The Birthdays deftly explores the myriad ways of seeking sustenance after disappointment or loss. Reading group guide included.
Avg Rating
2.85
Number of Ratings
454
5 STARS
9%
4 STARS
15%
3 STARS
39%
2 STARS
28%
1 STARS
9%
goodreads
Author
Heidi Pitlor
Author · 7 books
Heidi Pitlor has been the series editor of The Best American Short Stories since 2007. She is the author of the novel, The Birthdays. Her second novel, The Daylight Marriage, is forthcoming in May, 2015.
