Meet the Newmans
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 13 Jan 2026
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
From #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Jennifer Niven, a novel about America’s favorite TV family, whose perfect façade starts to crack, for fans of Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
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For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb—literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and rock ‘n roll idol Shep may finally be in real trouble.
When Del—the creative motor behind the show— is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?
Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This bighearted historical drama explores what happens when America’s most wholesome TV family collides with a rapidly changing world. It’s 1964, and for two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have played spotless versions of themselves on a beloved television show. As ratings fall and pop culture shifts, a sudden accident puts Del out of commission, forcing Dinah—long constrained both on screen and off—to venture into creative territory she’s never been allowed to claim. But Guy is keeping a secret of his own, and Shep’s teenage rock ’n’ roll rebellion is edging toward real consequences. Author Jennifer Niven (All the Bright Places) captures the tension between public performance and private truth with warmth and clarity, grounding the sweeping changes of the 1960s in intimate family moments. Meet the Newmans is a rewarding family story about facing the risks of finally stepping away from your script.
