(Fiction, 310 pp., 2026)
When their beloved older sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into decades of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives–divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals–their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible. This is Not About Us is a story of growing up and growing old, the weight of parental expectations, and the complex connection between sisters. A big-hearted book about the love that binds a family across generations.
Review by Jami Attenberg, New York Times, February 17 2026
Review by Maureen Corrigan, NPR (Fresh Air), February 25 2026
Review by Kirkus Staff, Kirkus Reviews, November 22 2025
Review by Robert Nagler Miller, Hadassah Magazine, January 7 2026
Review by Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal, n.d.
Interview with Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker Magazine, January 4 2026
Allegra Goodman discussing This is Not About Us on The Late Show Book Club, March 27 2026 (9 minute video)
