Reviews
"Utterly charming. If you always cry at weddings, you'll cry at thisand laugh, too…Russo has written a novel for people who are terrified of becoming their parents, which is to say for everybody [and it] seems especially intimate, a dyspeptic romantic comedy from a Pulitzer Prize winner who catches the bittersweet humor of our common neuroses…It's a marvelous portrayal of the strands of affection and irritation that run through a family, entangling in-laws and children's crushes and even old friends." Ron Charles,The Washington Post "A comic yet thoughtful take on marriage…But amid the humor, it raises questions about the complications we inherit and the ones we build for ourselves." Bob Minzesheimer,USA Today "When we finish readingThat Old Cape Magic, we know we'll start rereading it soon. And that the characters will come to mind at the most unpredictable times. We will stay on speaking terms with them more than we do with some of our real-life cousins." Betsy Willeford,The Miami Herald "A recipe for laying ghosts to rest [and] a tale about love requited and unrequited. Finally, it is a big-hearted book about real, complex relationships that are an utterly fascinating mix of the two." Rosemary Herbert,Bangor Daily News "His most intimate yet: an astute portrait of a 30-year marriage, in all its promise and pain…His honest, heartfelt storytellinglike a cooling breeze off a certain New England shorelinehas never felt fresher." Andrew Abrahams,People "Wryly funny…An impressively expansive analysis of familial dynamics between not only spouses but also in-laws, parents and children…It's Russo all the same, and his many fans are sure to savor the journey." Joanne Wilkinson,Booklist "In one of America's most mythic landscapes, Russo details one man's shaky first steps out of his past and into self-knowledge with good humor, generosity, and an open heart." Pam Houston,O, The Oprah Magazine, "Suffused with Russo's signature comic sensibility, and with insights, by turns tender and tough, about human frailty, forbearance, fortitude, and fervor." Glenn C. Altschuler, The Boston Globe "Family, family, family is the subject of That Old Cape Magic [with] a complicated skein of plotlines, deep connection to place, and affection for the large cast of characters who blunder and struggle through his pages." Roxanna Robinson, The New York Times Book Review "A touching portrait of smart people spinning their wheels." Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune "Utterly charming. If you always cry at weddings, you'll cry at thisand laugh, too…Russo has written a novel for people who are terrified of becoming their parents, which is to say for everybody [and it] seems especially intimate, a dyspeptic romantic comedy from a Pulitzer Prize winner who catches the bittersweet humor of our common neuroses…It's a marvelous portrayal of the strands of affection and irritation that run through a family, entangling in-laws and children's crushes and even old friends." Ron Charles, The Washington Post "A comic yet thoughtful take on marriage…But amid the humor, it raises questions about the complications we inherit and the ones we build for ourselves." Bob Minzesheimer, USA Today "When we finish reading That Old Cape Magic , we know we'll start rereading it soon. And that the characters will come to mind at the most unpredictable times. We will stay on speaking terms with them more than we do with some of our real-life cousins." Betsy Willeford, The Miami Herald "A recipe for laying ghosts to rest [and] a tale about love requited and unrequited. Finally, it is a big-hearted book about real, complex relationships that are an utterly fascinating mix of the two." Rosemary Herbert, Bangor Daily News "His most intimate yet: an astute portrait of a 30-year marriage, in all its promise and pain…His honest, heartfelt storytellinglike a cooling breeze off a certain New England shorelinehas never felt fresher." Andrew Abrahams, People "Wryly funny…An impressively expansive analysis of familial dynamics between not only spouses but also in-laws, parents and children…It's Russo all the same, and his many fans are sure to savor the journey." Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist "In one of America's most mythic landscapes, Russo details one man's shaky first steps out of his past and into self-knowledge with good humor, generosity, and an open heart." Pam Houston, O, The Oprah Magazine, "Suffused with Russo's signature comic sensibility, and with insights, by turns tender and tough, about human frailty, forbearance, fortitude, and fervor." Glenn C. Altschuler,The Boston Globe "Family, family, family is the subject ofThat Old Cape Magic[with] a complicated skein of plotlines, deep connection to place, and affection for the large cast of characters who blunder and struggle through his pages." Roxanna Robinson,The New York Times Book Review "A touching portrait of smart people spinning their wheels." Christopher Borrelli,Chicago Tribune "Utterly charming. If you always cry at weddings, you'll cry at thisand laugh, too…Russo has written a novel for people who are terrified of becoming their parents, which is to say for everybody [and it] seems especially intimate, a dyspeptic romantic comedy from a Pulitzer Prize winner who catches the bittersweet humor of our common neuroses…It's a marvelous portrayal of the strands of affection and irritation that run through a family, entangling in-laws and children's crushes and even old friends." Ron Charles,The Washington Post "A comic yet thoughtful take on marriage…But amid the humor, it raises questions about the complications we inherit and the ones we build for ourselves." Bob Minzesheimer,USA Today "When we finish readingThat Old Cape Magic, we know we'll start rereading it soon. And that the characters will come to mind at the most unpredictable times. We will stay on speaking terms with them more than we do with some of our real-life cousins." Betsy Willeford,The Miami Herald "A recipe for laying ghosts to rest [and] a tale about love requited and unrequited. Finally, it is a big-hearted book about real, complex relationships that are an utterly fascinating mix of the two." Rosemary Herbert,Bangor Daily News "His most intimate yet: an astute portrait of a 30-year marriage, in all its promise and pain…His honest, heartfelt storytellinglike a cooling breeze off a certain New England shorelinehas never felt fresher." Andrew Abrahams,People "Wryly funny…An impressively expansive analysis of familial dynamics between not only spouses but also in-laws, parents and children…It's Russo all the same, and his many fans are sure to savor the journey." Joanne Wilkinson,Booklist "In one of America's most mythic landscapes, Russo details one man's shaky first steps out of his past and into self-knowledge with good humor, generosity, and an open heart." Pam Houston,O, The Oprah Magazine