Goldengrove by Francine Prose

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

June 25, 2011

Thirteen-year old Nico and her older sister Margaret are incredibly close. Their parents are free-spirited Bohemians.

One day, Nico and Margaret are spending a lazy summer day boating at the lake when Margaret dies unexpectedly from heart failure while swimming underwater. Nico’s family is horribly shaken, and each mourns Margaret in their own way.

Nico’s dad starts looking for the gateway to Heaven, Nico’s mom turns to drugs, and Nico herself surrenders to the aisles of Goldengrove—her father’s bookstore. She also grows closer to Aaron, Margaret’s boyfriend.

Nico and Aaron decide to remember Margaret together by watching her favorite movies, eating her favorite ice cream, and wearing her old clothing. This teaches Nico how to manage grief while also going through puberty and navigating her sexuality.

I enjoyed Goldengrove, and I appreciated the originality of Nico and her family and all their restless Bohemian antics. Each character exudes class in their own unique way, including Aaron.

Overall, Goldengrove is a bittersweet story, but it does slow down after Nico and Aaron begin spending time together. I’m not so sure I’ll deliberately seek out books by this author in the future.

Other books by Francine Prose include:

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Last Updated on December 21, 2025 by Sarah Ann

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