Mailbox Monday

When I went to my mailbox this morning it contained Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden. This is a book sent by Lisa of Books On The Brain as she is hosting a discussion about it with the author on May 18th. As of March 23, she still had seven copies available, so hustle on over if you want to partake in the Reading Series with us!

Wendy Burden is a bold new voice in American literature. For generations the Burdens were one of the wealthiest families in New York, thanks to the inherited fortune of Cornelius "the Commodore" Vanderbilt. By 1955, the year of Wendy's birth, the Burdens had become a clan of over funded, quirky and brainy, steadfastly chauvinist, and ultimately doomed bluebloods on the verge of financial and moral decline-and were rarely seen not holding a drink.

At the heard of the story is Wendy's glamorous and aloof mother who, after her husband's suicide, travels the world in search of the perfect sea-and-ski tan, leaving her three children in the care of a chain-smoking Scottish nanny, Fifth Avenue grandparents, and an assorted cast of long-suffering household servants (who Wendy and her brothers love to terrorize). Rife with humor, heartbreak, family intrigue and booze, Dead End Gene Pool offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of old money and gives truth to an old maxim: The rich are different. (back cover)

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.