This Is Where I Leave You: A Novel (Paperback)
August 2009 Indie Next List
“Mort Foxman's dying wish is that his wife and four children sit shiva for him. With acute and sardonic perception, we view these seven days of enforced togetherness through the eyes of the middle son, Judd. The result is a narrative that is both hilarious and poignant. You won't want to miss this one!”
— Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH
Winter 2011 Reading Group List
“Jonathan Tropper delivers perfectly-timed punches with a good dose of laughter in this depiction of a heartfelt week of loss, mourning, forgiveness, and discovery as the Foxman family is held together -- some would say held captive -- under one roof to sit shiva. Tropper doesn't miss a beat. It's too bad you can't catch up with fictional characters over a beer in a few months. I'll miss these guys.”
— Lisa Baudoin, Books & Company, Oconomowoc, WI
Staff Reviews
"This Is Where I Leave You" is an easy, relatable, very funny read for the next time you're in the mood for zany characters and familial craziness. 3 grown brothers and their sister (kids and partners in tow) are forced to head back to their childhood home for 7 days to sit Shiva after their father's death.
— From Anna recommendsThe death of Judd Foxman’s father marks the first time that the entire Foxman clan has congregated in years. There is, however, one conspicuous absence: Judd's wife, Jen, whose affair with his radio- shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public. Simultaneously mourning the demise of his father and his marriage, Judd joins his dysfunctional family as they reluctantly sit shiva and spend seven days and nights under the same roof. The week quickly spins out of control as longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed and old passions are reawakened. Then Jen delivers the clincher: she's pregnant...
“Often sidesplitting, mostly heartbreaking...[Tropper is] a more sincere, insightful version of Nick Hornby, that other master of male psyche.”—USA Today
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING JASON BATEMAN, TINA FEY, JANE FONDA, AND ADAM DRIVER
“In a wry domestic tone nicely akin to Tom Perotta’s, Mr. Tropper...introduces a darkly entertaining bunch of dysfunctional relatives....This author’s strong suit is wisecracks, the more irreverent the better.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“Hilarious and often heartbreaking...a novel that charms by allowing for messes, loose ends and the reality that there's only one sure ending for everyone.”—The Los Angeles Times
“[A] magnificently funny family saga....Read and weep with laughter. Grade: A”—Entertainment Weekly
“The novel is artful and brilliant, filled with colorful narratives and witty dialogue....[Tropper] can find the funny in any situation.”—Associated Press
“Tender and unexpectedly hilarious.”—People.com