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This Is Where I Leave You  By  cover art

This Is Where I Leave You

By: Jonathan Tropper
Narrated by: Ramon De Ocampo
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Editorial reviews

Judd Foxman has not had a good year. Shortly after catching his wife in bed with his boss (a Howard Stern-like DJ whom he works for as a producer), he learns that his father has died. Not only must Judd attend the funeral, he then has to honor his dad's dying request sitting shiva for seven days with the rest of his eccentric family, including his sex therapist mom, older brother Paul (who's married to Judd's high school sweetheart), sister Wendy, and youngest brother Phillip, who leads a carefree life of hedonism. While a few of the storylines ring cliché (namely catching your wife with your boss), this book is anything but. The dialogue between the family members is realistic, witty, and caustic. And just when you're hysterically laughing at a scene, the next one sucker punches you with the vulnerability and authenticity of Judd's emotions.

Narrator Ramon de Ocampo delivers the right tone for this novel written from Foxman's point of view dry and defeated but the nasal quality of his voice is sometimes distracting and can even border on effeminate. Besides that, his pace is perfect, as well as his voice changes for the dialogue of different characters he really shines as Judd's mother and some of the older Jewish men that drop by to pay their respects.

While This Is Where I Leave You is very funny, the truly laugh-out-loud scenes are few and far between, with the heart of the book being the very real, and very emotional trials of Judd Foxman and the relatable love/hate relationship he shares with his family members. Colleen Oakley

Publisher's summary

The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family - including Judd's mother, brothers, and sister - have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd's wife, Jen, whose 14-month affair with Judd's radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public.

Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch's dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.

As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it's a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family.

©2009 Jonathan Tropper (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"The affectionate, warts-and-all portrayal of the Foxmans will have fans wishing for a sequel (and clamoring for all things Tropper)." (Amazon.com review)
"Tropper strikes an excellent balance between the family history and its present-day fallout, proving his ability to create touchingly human characters and a deliciously page-turning story." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about This Is Where I Leave You

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a great listen

What other book might you compare This Is Where I Leave You to and why?

Similar to the Big Chill. Same type of story. I like the way it moved from past to present and that the process of mourning was captured.

What about Ramon de Ocampo’s performance did you like?

Nice job capturing the different characters

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Good Story

I enjoyed listening to this book and getting to know the characters. Just wish that it was a bit longer, I didn't want of to end. :)

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A Little Better than I thought it would be

It wasn't hard to get involved in this family. They are all slightly dysfunctional.I don't know what the payout was in the end; other than knowing each other better. If the exercise could be done for a lot of families with adult children having problems with the different personalities involved, maybe life would be better. I liked the idea of the story and most of the characters. maybe I am old school, but when family is gathered to mourn a passed family member, I don't think there would be as much sex going on. It wasn't overdone, maybe disrespectful in their dead father's home.

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Made my days full with laughter….

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If your family is dysfunctional , well this one makes yours looks like normal….So enjoyed

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Good story but expectations were too high

Unfortunately I saw and enjoyed the movie first. The book didn't meet my expectations. I think the narrators timing was off and he could have created a more comedic flair.

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Relatable Family - weak story

I did relate to the dysfunctional family and liked some of the interactions but other interactions and scenarios were just a little too far-fetched. Overall an enjoyable, light read.

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COVID Relief

Family drama, growth, revelation, interjected with humor regarding real life issues made this story interesting and entertaining! Somethings to learn , reflect and grow from!

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I laughed and laughed

I loved this book! It was raunchy, outrageous and oh so funny. I found myself literally laughing out loud when listening to this book. I have never read anything by the author but had heard about this book and was interested in reading about a Jewish family sitting shiva for their father. The characters are well-developed and each are interesting in their own way. While some of the situations they get themselves into seem ludicrous, the author makes it seem like just another day in the life of the family. Maybe it was a cultural resonance that made me like this book so much, so many references I could relate to, but I found this book made me cry and laugh and actually think about some of the issues raised. Quite an accomplishment!

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  • 03-10-10

Funny...

especially to those of us who can relate!!

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Interesting

It started off slow at first but then I really got into it. I loved the storyline, it had humor, sadness, and an angry mood at some points.

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