“Delightful, refreshing, and everything I hoped it would be”. ~ Sheila

Del and Dinah, with their two sons, Guy and Shep, have been America’s favorite family of the 1950s and 1960s, having been on the television screen for two decades. Known for their humor and family wholesome antics, the world tunes in to see what silliness the boys will get themselves into, what fatherly advice Del will give out that will solve everything by the time the credits roll, and of course, what Dinah is whipping up in the kitchen that will feed their mind and souls. There really isn’t too much that a fresh-baked cookie won’t solve.

Of course, times they are a-changing.

Ratings are not as strong as they used to be. Sponsors of the show are putting their dollars elsewhere, and it seems that America is looking not for a 30-minute feel-good wholesome show anymore… they now want to see more complex situations, a little more dirt on that kitchen floor, if you will – then Dinah would ever allow.

Or would she?

In the midst of rumors becoming reality that the show will not be renewed and a finale will need to be written, Del is in an accident that turns the Newmans’ world upside down. After all, Del writes all the scripts as well as directs them.

Who will write the most important script of the show’s run? And if there is anything that may change the direction the show is going, what will it be? What would bring the audience back, making the Newmans relevant?

I don’t think my review does this one justice. When I first heard about Meet The Newmans before its release date, it went on my TBR list. The book sounded fun and unique – I loved thinking of a Leave It To Beaver style family struggling with the every changing world and how to rewrite your story – even if it is only for show? I mean, can you imagine an episode where Beaver gets his first tattoo? Or Ward coming home a little late and a little tipsy after an evening of cards at the local pub – missing dinner completely? (If I lost you there, look up Leave It To Beaver)

In a word – fun. I really enjoyed this book. As you discover the boys are not as wholesome as the screen may cause you to believe, Del has secrets from his family, and wholesome housewife Dinah gets a little taste of the feminine movement when she teams up with writer Juliet Dunne to help with the final episode, and Juliet introduces Dinah to the book, the Feminie Mistique.

Definitely a palate cleaner for someone who is stuck in a genre rut… give it a try!

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: Yes
Read Author Again: yes

Themes: changing times, being yourself, bringing women out of the dark ages, family values

Book Club Worthy –Absolutely! This would be a great book to discuss – talk about the TV shows you watched as a child, young adult, and in your 20s/30s, and how it has changed from the TV now, for better and for worse. The book The Feminine Mystique and what it did for women, secrets in the family, and an opportunity to dress up in the 1960s era