Sue's Bookshelf: A Review of "The Latecomer"

The Charlotte Jewish News, September 2022

By Sue Littauer

I’ve read several books this summer by Jewish authors, including “The Summer Place” by Jennifer Weiner, “Crazy to Leave You” and two others by Marilyn Simon Rothstein, and “Weather Girl” by Rachel Lynn Solomon. I recommend each of them, but the most outstanding book I’ve read this summer is “The Latecomer” by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

“The Latecomer,” the story of a very dysfunctional family, raises a myriad of issues to contemplate and discuss and would be the perfect selection for a book club. What binds a family together?

What tears it apart? How does a tragic event influence the entire life of an individual? How does one define the value of an education? What are the effects of religious exploration vs. tradition? What are the ramifications of scientific breakthroughs? How is art perceived differently by viewers and collectors? What are the psychological effects of the stalwart beliefs of the untruths of others? How do money and privilege influence the lives of individuals and families?

Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally are “test tube” triplets born in the early days of IVF. Their father, Salo Oppenheimer, is removed in mind and body from their household, while their mother Johanna wants nothing more than a happy home where siblings will form a lifelong bond to support each other in adulthood. The only shared desire of the three siblings is to get as far away as possible from each other and their parents.

While in college at Cornell, Salo Oppenheimer, the heir to a wealthy Jewish family, is the driver of a car involved in an accident that killed two of his passengers. This tragic event stays with him throughout his lifetime. He psychologically removes himself from his family and later becomes obsessed with art. He is incredibly gifted at recognizing art that will later become astronomically valuable, and he spends an obsessive amount of time away from his family deriving pleasure from his paintings, which are stored in a warehouse.

Johanna Oppenheimer thought bringing children into their household would bring happiness into their beautiful, remodeled Brooklyn home, which overlooks New York City. However, the triplets spend as much time hiding out in their rooms as possible, acquiescing only to a yearly family photo and birthday celebration in Martha’s Vineyard. When the triplets go off to college, she is left alone and decides to unfreeze a fourth embryo from the earlier IVF process and hires a surrogate to carry her child, hence, “the latecomer.”

At the triplets’ 19th birthday celebration, a tragic set of circumstances sets in motion the basis for the remainder of the book. Eventually, mysteries are uncovered, truths are revealed, and family dynamics change. Many reviewers describe “The Latecomer” as satirical, witty, and profound. It is a multilayered, compulsively readable gift to unwrap.

CJE Book Club

Join us for our September Book Club meeting when Charlotte author Judy Goldman will discuss her best-selling book “Child: A Memoir.” It is a fascinating read about the love between a child and her Black nanny during the Jim Crow era and growing up Jewish in Rock Hill, South Carolina during this time. All are welcome to join us for this event – Wednesday, September 14, 10:30 a.m. in the boardroom at Shalom Park.