From the outside, Gabrielle Hamilton’s life appears to be the very measure of success – acclaimed New York restaurateur, TV star, and award-winning writer. But underneath that, as Next of Kin lays bare, is an absolute trainwreck of a family life. Having been brought up by parents who valued individualism and independence over love and care, and left to forge her own path at a remarkably young age, Hamilton subsequently became estranged from both her parents and her sister for many years – until the death by suicide of her older brother led her to re-examine the mythologies on which her family’s story was built. Compelling, compassionate, and brutally honest, Hamilton paints a vivid portrait of a family that could at times be both charismatic and cruel. If nothing else, reading Next of Kin will make you very thankful to have a normal family.
Next of Kin by Gabrielle Hamilton, (List Price: $30, Random House, 9780399590092, October 2025)
Reviewed by Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi