The riveting saga of the Seabrook Family, by one of the New Yorker's most acclaimed storytellers.
The patriarch, C. F. Seabrook, was hailed as the "Henry Ford of Agriculture." His son Jack, a keen businessman, was poised to take over what Life magazine called "the biggest vegetable factory on earth." But the carefully cultivated façade--glamorous outings by horse-drawn carriage, hidden wine cellars, and movie star girlfriends--hid dark secrets that led to the implosion of the family business.
At the heart of the narrative is a multigenerational succession battle. It's a tale of family secrets and Swiss bank accounts, of half-truths, of hatred and passion―and lots and lots of liquor. The Seabrooks' colorful legal and moral failings took place amid the trappings of extraordinary privilege. But the story of where that money came from is not so pretty.
A compelling tale of class and privilege, betrayal and revenge―three decades in the making―The Spinach King explores the author's complicated family legacy and the dark corners of the American Dream.
About the Author :
John Seabrook has been a staff writer at the New Yorker for more than three decades. The Spinach King is his fifth book. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Dion Graham, from HBO's The Wire, also narrates The First 48 on A&E. A multiple Audie Award-winning narrator and critically acclaimed actor, he has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, internationally, in films, and in several hit television series. His performances have been praised as thoughtful and compelling, vivid, and full of life.
Review :
"A great American tragedy...with shades of Shakespeare's King Lear."
-- "Christian Science Monitor"
"Golden Voice Dion Graham gives a bravura performance of the fraught relationships between three generations of fathers and sons...He narrates in a thoughtful style with an intimate tone and phrasing...His delivery elevates the story of rags to staggering riches. Author John Seabrook's own struggles with alcohol and his candor in recounting his family's secrets provide a powerful backstory. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award."
-- "AudioFile"
"Makes for juicy (if at times gossipy) reading―who doesn't enjoy seeing a house of cards fall?"
-- "Wall Street Journal"
"A tale worthy of Faulkner...as rich a tale about a troubled dynasty―and father-son relationships―as you will read this year."
-- "Airmail"
"A Mylar Miracle-Pack of intrigue, with everything you'd expect from a long-submerged, intergenerational blue-blooded drama."
-- "Harper's magazine"
"Uncovering devastating family secrets...deftly weaving personal and commercial history to document the rise and fall of a towering agricultural enterprise."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
