Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners

Deftly captures all of the passive-aggression, generosity, humble-bragging, kindness, emotional restraint, and humor typical to a Minnesota family. A propulsive and endearing debut.

Anthony's debut successfully mixes realistic emotional responses to big life events with a sense of humor, preventing any single character from becoming a victim or a villain.

Anthony paints a complex portrait of a matriarch struggling to give up control over her daughter's life, and strengthening her family in the process.

Anthony's debut gently pokes fun at her characters while affirming the supreme importance of family, whatever form that family might take.

An intricately satisfying story about love and understanding that is full of both nostalgia and surprising optimism.

This delightfully clever debut is a masterfully written, Wes Anderson-esque roller coaster ride through a series of self-made disasters in a hilariously dysfunctional family...Hits all the right notes; you'll double over with laughter, but you'll also find yourself at times misty-eyed and introspective. I have the feeling this is just the first of many skilled and heartfelt dramedies from the pen of talented newcomer Gretchen Anthony.

Full of twists and turns and laughs that don't let up. Whee!

Gretchen Anthony knows what makes the people of the America's heartland hilarious, lovable, and worth reading about...Anthony is a breath of fresh air, and the Baumgartners will make you roll your eyes and giggle in recognition of the quirkiness of family.

A non-stop delight of a novel peopled with characters that are sure to entertain. Violet Baumgartner and her hilarious family are part of a different world-one that once I entered, I didn't want to leave. A literary joy from beginning to end!

A formidable matriarch learns the hard way that no family is perfect in this witty, sparkling debut novel.

"Dearest loved ones, far and near-evergreen tidings from the Baumgartners!"

Violet Baumgartner has opened her annual holiday letter the same way for the past three decades. And this year she's going to throw her husband, Ed, a truly perfect retirement party, one worthy of memorializing in her upcoming letter. But the event becomes a disaster when, in front of two hundred guests, Violet learns her daughter Cerise has been keeping a shocking secret from her, shattering Violet's carefully constructed world.

In an epic battle of wills, Violet goes to increasing lengths to wrest back control of her family, infuriating Cerise and snaring their family and friends in a very un-Midwestern, un-Baumgartner gyre of dramatics. And there will be no explaining away the consequences in this year's Baumgartner holiday letter ...

Full of humor, emotion, and surprises at every turn, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners brings to life a remarkable cast of quirky, deeply human characters who must learn to adapt to the unconventional, or else risk losing one another. This is the story of a family falling to pieces-and the unexpected way they put it all back together.