This is a modern fictional story. I really enjoyed it. The story is about family life in the suburbs, where neighbours know everything about each other.

thank you to net galley for the ARC copy of this book. It is certainly not my favourite book by this author and i can understand why some people do not finish it. It is very character driven and the first third of the book is definitely just one character introduction after another. The sheer number of characters mean that in that first part none are particularly defined or indeed memorable. The plot initial appears to be about 6 parking spaces available to a group of homeowners in Central New York and great swathes of the book are allocated to this car park with apparently little else to drive the narrative on. IN the latter half, however. Quindlen does seem to step up to the mark and the narrative takes more of a central part. It is a commentary on Humanity or in some cases the lacer k of it in these New york inhabitants.

For me it was too little too late to make it an accomplished whole

Having never read Quindlen before, I didn’t know what to expect and came to this book afresh. I loved how ‘real’ it was. How the lives can look amazing from the outside but not be all that from the inside. How something as small and inconsequential as a parking spot can become huge- the ultimate prize in Nora’s block, and a sign of how well life is going and your status. Then when something awful happens we see how everyone takes sides and how the impact plays out on a neighbourhood where everyone is ultimately out for themselves.

The only thing I liked in this book were the descriptions of New York. I know that this book would really appeal to some of my friends, but I like there to be more to the plot than there is in this book. Nora and Charlie's lives and those of their neighbours and the events that unfold are well described and interesting. One event changes their lives forever. It is interesting how one event can cause so many ripples in peoples lives.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I normally enjoy Anna Quindlens books but this one didn't seem as good. Not my favourite book at all.

They have the life many people dream of: Nora and Charlie Nolan live in New York city in a quiet dead-end street, their twins Rachel and Oliver have become charming and successful students and both Nora and Charlie are good at their respective jobs. In their street, they have made friends with the neighbours during annual barbecues and the like and from the outside, there is not much you could wish for. However, underneath the surface, the idyllic street has its fights, like very neighbourhood, there is the controlling neighbour whom nobody ever openly contradicts, there are rumours and the nannies also exchange the secrets and share them with their employers. Nora and Charlie have always worked well as a couple, but after almost 25 years, there is a kind of exhaustion, they do not share the same ideas of life anymore and after a major incident in their street which makes them take different sides, they too, have to confront the question if they want to and can go on like this.

Anna Quindlen has an eye for the detail. Even though her story is set in big New York City, the plot is centred around a small community that could be found almost everywhere. It is the clash between the look from the outside and the real picture that makes the novel most striking, the almost invisible fractures, the divergent views which become only detectable when something big happens.

“Alternate Sides” is the perfect summer read, on the one hand, it is a light novel, not too complicated or philosophical, but taken from life and straight-forward in the development of the plot. On the other hand, you have a sympathetic protagonist whom you can easily identify with. You follow Nora and she is immediately likeable, even though she’s got quite an exclusive job, she is like to woman from next door, ignorant of classes and anxious to raise her kids to become good people. Neither does she immediately explode when she feels provoked by her husband, nor does she take in everything without disagreeing.

Since everybody knows how well-off neighbourhoods work, you can smirk at how the inhabitants of this street react, much too predictable, but that’s just how humans work. At times, they are hilarious – Charlie’s joy when he gets a parking spot in the street! – at times, they remind you of the people from you real life that you despise. Even though there are many serious issues underneath the surface of the novel, it is a joyful and entertaining read.

This book tells the story of a couple, the people that live in their road and their lives in Manhattan. It is a luxurious wallow in the up and downs of city dwelling, family life and neighborhood tensions.

The first part of the tale sets the scene; fast moving lives where everyone needs a housekeeper and a handy man to keep on top of things. Then an incident occurs causing all of those in the neighborhood to re-evaluate their lives and the things that they have coveted.

Having briefly lived in Manhattan I really enjoyed the descriptions of the smells, the sounds and the squabbles over parking. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and was surprised by the turn of events as the book progressed. Great read!

Nora and Charlie Nolan live in an affluent enclave in New York. They are rich, with two grown up children. The only kind of problems they have are ‘first world problems.’ A handyman keeps the houses looking nice. There is stiff competition over parking spaces. Tea parties, barbecues and lots of golf. They have a housekeeper. These are the haves, being looked after by the have-nots.
One day something terrible happens. The handyman, Ricky, is brutally attacked by one of the residents. Sides are taken, and ranks are closed. One telling of the story is fake news. It becomes a cause celebre, and drives a fault line through the community and the Nolan's marriage. It is hard to feel sorry for anyone besides Ricky, but the story focuses on these rather spoilt suburbanites.
This is a well told story. In the writer’s hands, Nora and many of the other characters acquire depth. You don't especially care about them, but they fit into the loving portrait of a New York city that is only for the strong.

This novel looks at the tensions that emerge in a neighbourhood in New York and in one particular marriage.