Book Buzz: Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
“I am obsessed with old Hollywood. I used to love Nick at Night and all the old classic TV shows. I’ve always been fascinated by that, but I’ve also always been fascinated by the fact that we all have a behind-the-scenes. And when I was touring for All the Bright Places, which is a young adult book I wrote years ago, the thing I heard most from my readers was, “Thank you for letting me know that it’s okay to be messy. It’s okay to be me, that, you know, I feel seen, and I matter.” And I just kept thinking about the fact that it’s so sad that so many people, well, all of us actually, have a behind-the-scenes that we aren’t always comfortable showing or sharing with other people. And so I wanted to write something about that. And then I thought, oh, I could combine it with my love for Hollywood because God knows there’s a lot going on behind the scenes there.”
― Jennifer Niven, Interview, Zibby’s Bookshop
What booksellers are saying about Meet the Newmans
- Meet the Newmans was a riveting read. I couldn’t stop reading to see what happened to Dinah, Del, Guy & Shep. The Newmans are more than just about a famous family, they are dealing with love, purpose, creativity, loss, and most of all who they are if they are not the “Newmans”. If you love reading about Hollywood and love books about families, this is the book for you!
― Claire McWhorter, River & Hill Books in Rome, Georgia | BUY
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This was such a fun read! If you’re familiar with the old TV shows Ozzie & Harriet or Leave It to Beaver, imagine Harriet or June discovering feminism and rewriting the rules of the picture-perfect household. Nostalgic, sharp, and so satisfying.
― Serena Wyckoff, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida | BUY
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Don’t be fooled at first glance into thinking this is a book about the Truman Show meets the Partridge Family. Jennifer Niven writes a superb novel about a family who has had a wholesome hit radio/TV show for over 20 years, but finds themselves in the 1960s tackling issues such as male dominance, feminism, race, family structure, workplace equality, and gay rights. As the family works through these and many more complex issues, they try to wrestle with how to maintain love in their family structure. An excellent read.
― Jim Clemmons, Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida | BUY
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I came for the Hollywood historical fiction. I stayed for Dinah’s empowerment! It’s the 1960s, and TV’s beloved Newman family is finding their decade-plus series threatened by cancellation. And, after so many years of portraying black-and-white TV versions of themselves, it’s unclear if they really want to continue. It isn’t until patriarch Del is involved in a mysterious accident that the cracks in the family begin to show. And, boy, do they show! Secrets and truths come to light, and it’s up to Dinah to find her voice, find her strength, and become the family and television series leader she is meant to be! This book is so well crafted and the story so captivating, I found it too difficult to put down!
― Thomas Wallace, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee | BUY
About Jennifer Niven
Jennifer Niven is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of thirteen books, fiction and nonfiction, including the massive breakout All the Bright Places, which she also adapted for film. Her award-winning books have been translated into more than seventy-five languages and have sold upward of 3.5 million copies worldwide. Jennifer has loved television and film her whole life and has been lucky enough to develop projects with Netflix, Sony, ABC, and Warner Bros. She divides her time between coastal Georgia and Los Angeles with her husband and literary cats.
Book Buzz: Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven Read More »
“I had what feels to me like a bizarre, non-linear experience in the movie business. I was never a part of any union, and worked all kinds of non-union assisting jobs to finance my own projects, which had small crews and shot on film in a very guerilla fashion. I didn’t go to film school, so everything I learned about telling stories in that way came from asking a lot of questions of crew members on various sets, watching a lot of movies and interviews, and making things up as I went along.”
Last Chance LIVE’s premise was inspired by real-world death penalty reform efforts to raise the minimum age for capital punishment. Last Chance LIVE’s protagonist, Eternity Price, was inspired by a little girl I met during my undergraduate years at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, I volunteered in Head Start classrooms in a West Philadelphia public school, and met a fouryear-old girl whose vivacious spirit deeply impacted me. I spent years contemplating how she was growing up in an impoverished neighborhood right next to an Ivy League university, but she would likely be unable to access most of its privileges and resources—and the trajectory of her life would likely be very different than the lives of most Penn students. To my knowledge, that little girl has not experienced or done anything like what Eternity has, but she and Eternity both grew up in the shadow of power and privilege. My hope for this young girl, and all children, is that they have what Eternity never did—confidence in who they are and what they are worth, and a community that reinforces this truth. I hope seeing America’s reflection in Last Chance LIVE! helps us ascribe more value to these children, and less value to “great television.” 
