The Family Effect

Room for One More

Lately I’ve dipped my toes into a kind of literature that has all but disappeared. I don’t quite know what to call it. We’re talking about novels—not poetry, but novels that are meant for intelligent readers with a broad fund of general knowledge, without, however, presuming to be great epics or artsy forays into philosophy, and certainly not bare excuses for political action. No pretensions either, no sweeping romances with a lot of period costumery; so they aren’t Gone with the Wind, but they might well be set in a distant place and time, because many people used to enjoy reading history.Such books can be quite satisfying, like a well-cooked hearty meal of roast beef and potatoes: A.  J....