The Sterns Are Listening - by Jonathan Wells (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Benjamin and Dita Stern are seasoned New Yorkers whose life in the pre-war, Upper East Side building Benjamin's grandfather built has settled into stasis--two children no longer at home, professional lives never fully realized. Then Benjamin's brash younger brother Spence, founder and CEO of the hearing aid company Belphonics, asks him to collaborate on a new product line inspired by the brothers' rock-and-roll youth at CBGB--the club where, Spence believes, his hearing was permanently damaged. If the idea works, it might salvage Benjamin and Dita's tenuous financial position. Yet they both know that getting involved in Spence's schemes comes at a high price. That same evening, with the Sterns' daughter Alessandra over for dinner, Benjamin's news is upstaged by the startling appearance of their son, Giorgio, whose violent adolescent behavior resulted in his being sent away for most of high school. Now seventeen, he is adrift and still a very troubled young man. As Benjamin and Dita reckon with their parental choices, Giorgio takes the reins of his own story, and we learn not only that his name is not, in fact, Giorgio, but also the extent to which all the Sterns share some measure of responsibility for his plight. A funny and deeply felt debut novel from poet and memoirist Jonathan Wells, The Sterns Are Listening explores a family on the verge of both collapse and regeneration. Brimming with affection for its troubled characters and the troubled city they call home, the novel traces a courageous path to the deeply uncomfortable heart of the matter, one that just might lead to redemption."--

Book Synopsis

From acclaimed poet and memoirist Jonathan Wells comes a raucous and aching New York novel about family derangement, Boomer laments and youthful revolt, rock and roll, and the sacrifices we make for what we love.

Benjamin and Dita Stern are seasoned New Yorkers whose life in the pre-war, Upper East Side building Benjamin's grandfather built has settled into stasis--two children no longer at home, professional lives never fully realized. Then Benjamin's brash younger brother Spence, founder and CEO of the hearing aid company Belphonics, asks him to collaborate on a new product line inspired by the brothers' rock-and-roll youth at CBGB--the club where, Spence believes, his hearing was permanently damaged. If the idea works, it might salvage Benjamin and Dita's tenuous financial position. Yet they both know that getting involved in Spence's schemes comes at a high price.

That same evening, with the Sterns' daughter Alessandra over for dinner, Benjamin's news is upstaged by the startling appearance of their son, Giorgio, whose violent adolescent behavior resulted in his being sent away for most of high school. Now seventeen, he is adrift and still a very troubled young man. As Benjamin and Dita reckon with their parental choices, Giorgio takes the reins of his own story, and we learn not only that his name is not, in fact, Giorgio, but also the extent to which all the Sterns share some measure of responsibility for his plight.

A funny and deeply felt debut novel from poet and memoirist Jonathan Wells, The Sterns Are Listening explores a family on the verge of both collapse and regeneration. Brimming with affection for its troubled characters and the troubled city they call home, the novel traces a courageous path to the deeply uncomfortable heart of the matter, one that just might lead to redemption.

Review Quotes

"The Sterns are Listening begins in the summer heat in NYC, a heat without relief, a heat where 'hope seems futile.' But hope is at the core of Wells's excellent debut novel where the Stern family-- frayed to the breaking - must find a way to move forward. How Wells manages to make this tender and painful novel also filled with humor and generosity is part of the novel's magic and his deep compassion as a writer. It is such a compelling read - I sat down and didn't do another thing until I was done." --Victoria Redel, author of Before Everything

"The Sterns Are Listening is a novel, but that doesn't mean it doesn't predict what is sure to happen in the next few years, which is the invention of hearing aids for boomers who went to too many loud concerts back in the day.... As with many a business venture, especially ones involving family members, chaos ensues, but things work out nicely in the end. In between, you'll laugh and probably also drag your knuckle down the side of your nose a time or two, and if you're like me, you'll also think about getting your hearing checked. But weren't those concerts fun? So's this novel." --David Kirby, author of Help Me, Information

"I loved The Sterns Are Listening. Giorgio/Mark is a wonderful creation, both maddening and appealing and the story's truth teller, a little like the son in Revolutionary Road, but from inside the family. Benjamin's plight is compelling, and Wells captures the baffling nature of parenthood especially well.... And yet there is a well-earned sweetness at the end. A terrific novel." --Scott Lasser, author of Say Nice Things about Detroit

"In The Sterns are Listening, Jonathan Wells creates an astutely observed family saga, by turns funny, others poignant, always compelling; Wells cuts to the heart of what it means to belong in family, and all the mess and guts that entails." --Ali Millar, author of The Last Days and Ava Anna Ada

"In The Sterns Are Listening, Jonathan Wells gives us a touching, beautifully observed and very funny portrait of a 21st century Manhattan family sliding slowly down the American dream. Benjamin Stern's wife is turning Italian, his teenage son is coming out of a forced exile, and his brother is trying to enlist him in a scheme to market flashy hearing aids to aging rock n roll fans. If you ever wondered what became of the next generation of Glasses and Angstroms, listen to The Sterns." --Bill Flanagan, author of Fifty in Reverse