“Profound yet often hysterically funny, The Cullivans is an epic story tracing four generations of an immigrant family – with Irish, Hungarian, Sicilian, Greek and Mexican roots – as they strive for, attain, and eventually deal with the realities of the American Dream, succession and family dynamics. Call it unforgettable, call it acute critical social perspective, call it The Great American Novel… this may be the best book you read all year.” A spectacular blaze, labeled “of suspicious origin,” has destroyed Kilkenny Lamp Shades, a major manufacturer privately held for 65 years. Among the dozen most-likely arson suspects are nine second and third generation Cullivan family members, all of whom are Kilkenny stockholders conveniently in town at the time of the fire to attend the funeral of the company’s CEO, the current family patriarch. But The Cullivans is far from a simple who-done-it novel, in fact solving the mystery is secondary to the long tale of a proud interwoven family coming to terms with the idea that truth is relative and highly subjective. It’s the story of four generations of an immigrant family struggling to achieve and then grapple with The American Dream, which of course is in the eye of the beholder. Paramount to the story is the founding and growth of two distinctly different family businesses – Kilkenny Lamp Shades, a wholesale supplier of a rather dull commodity, and Pied Affaire, a highly-profitable hotel chain catering to Americans practicing infidelity. Each chapter is voiced – often humorously – from the individual viewpoint of one of 17 decidedly-nuanced major characters ranging in age from 12 to 81. Each functions independently as a short story, but as the years go by highly-complicated family dynamics are revealed. It’s remarkable how long opinions and misconceptions can linger. Perspective is everything. Although the primary location is Southern California, The Cullivans includes colorful chapters set in Sicily, Greece, Mexico, Scotland, Hawaii, Montana, New York and Minnesota. Eventually, the mystery is solved and the arsonist revealed, but that only leads to the unveiling of the real how current and subsequent generations of Cullivans can exist as an extended family. There are plenty of surprises. The Cullivans is a fascinating read filled with interesting historic and contemporary commentary, heartfelt family and social dynamics, and a generous dose of humor.