Make Nice

A Novel

De: Ryan Effgen

Narrado por: Helen Laser

Sandwich meets The Wedding People in this irresistible comedy of manners as three generations of a family—a snail scientist, a soon-to-be divorcée, her teenage daughter, a hapless con man, and their feckless patriarch—descend on a ritzy Lake Michigan vacation island.

"Engaging and charming, perfect for your own summer vacation."
—Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hotel Nantucket

When the Pickford siblings arrive at The Grand Hotel—a nostalgic tourist paradise of horse-drawn carriages, muddled cocktails, and white sweaters on the tennis court—they have every intention of spending the long weekend making nice. Pete, the nation’s foremost expert on gastropods (mollusks), is keen to wade around the lake in search of a rare and exciting Carthusian snail. Viv, reeling from the secret revelation that her husband is gay, is determined to put on a brave face for her daughter. And Corey, a charming, handsome grifter, has lucked into five pounds of cocaine he plans to sell to the first dumb rich guy he can find.

But when Pete falls for the alluring mother of a local kid, when Viv’s daughter gets up to teenage trouble, and when Corey finds the wealthy guests less interested in party drugs than golf clubs and waffle cones, the long weekend of family bonding veers into disaster. Why did their father bring them to this cushy island resort in the first place? And why does Corey, the biggest screw-up of them all, seem to be the only one who knows the truth? As secrets spill, old flames are fanned, and an innocent snail is crushed beneath the unrelenting heel of a hiking boot. In a story that is as sneakily wise as it is absurdly funny, Ryan Effgen’s debut shows how sometimes the people who bring out your worst—your family—can also be the ones to bring you out of your shell.

Perfect Summer Story

Make Nice by Ryan Effgen is the quintessential summer listen, perfectly capturing the hazy, nostalgic atmosphere of an island resort. Following the death of their mother, the Pickford family reunites at this childhood summer haunt with every intention of playing nice, only to find that slipping back into old roles is complicated by the crushing weight of adult realities.
The character depth is stellar. Whether it is Pete’s obsession with rare snails, Viv’s brave face amidst her crumbling marriage, or Corey’s desperate, high-stakes grifting, each member of the family feels fully realized and painfully human. Effgen manages to thread the needle perfectly, balancing the absurd humor of their unraveling week with genuine, emotional insight. I was able to get lost in the narrator’s performance, which brought these complex dynamics to life with nuance and wit. It is a story that is as sneakily wise as it is funny, and I highly recommend adding it to your audio queue.