Book Review: "Meet the Newmans" by Jennifer Niven

As someone who grew up watching family sitcoms, from The Brady Bunch to Good Times, Family Ties to Full House, I absolutely loved this book. Jennifer Niven wrote one of my all-time favorite books—All the Bright Places—and I’m so glad to read her again!

The Newmans—Del and Dinah, and their sons Guy and Shep—have been a part of the public consciousness for years. The real Newman family plays themselves on their popular sitcom, and are America’s favorite television family. Every problem is solved in less than 30 minutes.

But it’s 1964, and the televised Newmans have gotten out of touch with the world around them. Their ratings are awful, sponsors are withdrawing, and it’s possible that the show might be canceled at the end of the season. And while the future of the show is up in the air, the real-life Newmans are in freefall as well.

When Del, who runs all aspects of the show, gets into a car accident and is placed into a medical coma, the show has two more episodes in the season. Dinah decides she’s going to handle it, so she hires a strong-willed reporter named Juliet to write the script for the finale with her. But Juliet will only do this if Dinah is willing to break the Newmans out of their bubble of perfection. Both women want to write a script the world will remember.

As Dinah takes control of the show, she discovers some secrets her husband has been hiding. Older son Guy has a secret too, but will it be exposed by the tabloids first? And Shep, the heartthrob, is finally realizing his charm can only get him so far. Each of the Newmans are ready for life after the show—but first they want the finale to succeed.

While Niven has said the book was inspired by 1950s stars Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, it also reminded me of the movie Pleasantville. For the first time, Dinah is confronted with the realities that women face in society as exposed to the “ideal” she portrays. I found this funny, emotional, and thought-provoking, and I’m so glad I met the Newmans!!