Michelle Blanchard Ardillo

This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman (Random House, February 10, 2026) is described as “a kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family,” but in some ways, I feel like parts of this story could have been set way back in time.

Yes, this story does involve a divorced couple co-parenting their two daughters, a young woman who is disillusioned with academia and life so she drops out of university to busk in the subway on her late aunt’s prized violin, and a couple who have lost their jobs and must start new careers. These are all issues people are facing in every day life today.

But, add to that three sisters, Jewish and in their 80s. They have been close since birth, but in the final moments of the life of one of them, the other two feud over, of all things, an apple cake. Sibling rivalry, jealousy, envy, these are issues as old as time.

I really enjoyed this book. I have come to realize that when a member of a publishing team reaches out to me about a new book, one that may interest me due to a previous book from that same publisher that I read and reviewed favorably, it is probably going to be a good read for me. And this is what happened here. Because I loved Within Arms Reach by Ann Napolitano, I was offered This is Not About Us by the same publisher.

This soon to be published novel is Goodman’s 11th, but it is my first read of hers. I don’t know if this latest is similar to her other works or if the format is different. As I was reading, I felt like each of the 17 chapters was almost a stand-alone story, with the same cast of characters coming and going throughout the book. I felt that each chapter resolved its singular storyline at the end of that chapter, except for Chapter 15, “Nutcracker.” As I tapped my Kindle to go to the next page, I realized the chapter had ended and I didn’t feel that same resolution.

I’m not sure if this structure of chapters that act like short stories but are united by a main plot and returning characters is a trend. I remember the first book I read that had that structure was Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. Strout’s book, which went on to win the Pulitzer in 2012, was designed as such, the interweaving of the 13 short stories was intentional.

In my first career as a commercial real estate paralegal and lease negotiator, I worked with and for many Jewish lawyers and business people. I learned a lot about the Jewish faith while interacting with them on a daily basis. Goodman’s book captures the things I recall from my time with them, and the things that were important to them: family, food, observance of the Jewish traditions, and preservation of their culture. I enjoyed revisiting much of that while reading this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Allegra Goodman for the ARC of this novel. I feel certain we’ll be hearing a lot about This is Not About Us in the coming months!