"The Last Romantics" Gets Lost in Family Dynamics Dwelling in Death by Tara Conklin

"The Last Romantics" by Tara Conklin ("The House Girl") is a novel that drags on too long dwelling in the past from the impacts of deaths in the family.  The Skinner family is turned upside down by the sudden death of the father who leaves behind a wife and 4 children: 3 daughters, Renee, Caroline and Fiona.  Fiona the youngest Skinner, future published poet is the narrator of this winding family saga. She begins from her earliest memories at 4 of her father's funeral.  After her husband's early death, Noni falls into a debilitating depression for 2 years referred to as "The Pause" by the Skinner kids. Renee nearly 12 becomes the responsible surrogate mother to her younger siblings  with the help from Caroline.  Somehow they manage to keep everyone fed, clothed and safe.  Renee wasn't able to protect herself from a sexual predator.  Thankfully, her brother Joe came to her rescue and brutally assaults Renee's attacker.  During the 2 year "Pause" the siblings became used to more liberties, adventures and their dependency on their love for one another.  Joe, the only male in the household and budding athletic star is put on a pedestal by his sisters.  Fiona lets us know early they would all  assume responsibility for Joe in his adult years.  The golden boy falls from grace in college and after graduation in NYC.  His drinking & coke addiction destroy his future with his beautiful fiancee and his high paying job in finance.   The siblings once all very close are now sprawling away from each other.  Joe takes a job in FL which he detests but finds a woman he loves Luna who shares his love for drink & drugs.  Joe suffers a fatal heart attack which draws his sisters back together.  As they clean through his apartment they find a photo of Joe & Luna and a Tiffany engagement ring.  Fiona makes it her mission to track down the "last" love of Joe's life and this obsession drives another wedge between the sisters.  The paths for the sisters & their mother take off in different tangents with varying degrees of success & fulfillment. "The Last Romantics" gets lost in a rambling of relationships and failures at love. Fiona finally realizes that the idea to fulfill her brother's "last wish" was ridiculous and wasteful.  Fiona finds we all struggle to decide what to give away and what to keep and that these calculations tally the results we live with.  Finding success as a poet Fiona sees everyone as a poet when telling their own stories created out of family, friends and love.  "The Last Romantics" is best as a story of sisterly love but loses itself in various choices that destroy what is valued most.  It's human nature, some people choose repeatedly to demolish what's most cherished.   I don't recommend vesting your time with "The Last Romantics."