The greatest works of poetry are the stories we tell about ourselves.”When the renowned poet Fiona Skinner is asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work,The Love Poem, she tells her audience a story about her family and a betrayal that reverberates through time.It begins in a big yellow house, with a funeral, an iron poker, and a brief variation forever known as the Pause: a free and feral summer in a middle-class Connecticut town. Caught between the predictable life they once led and an uncertain future that stretches before them, the Skinner siblingsfierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden-boy Joe and watchful Fionaemerge from the Pause staunchly loyal and deeply connected. Two decades later, the siblings find themselves once again confronted with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices theyve made and to ask what, exactly, they are willing to do for love.A sweeping yet intimate epic about one American family,The Last Romanticsis an unforgettable exploration of the ties that bind us together, the responsibilities we embrace and the duties we resent, and how we can loseand sometimes rescuethe ones we love. A novel that pierces the heart and lingers in the mind, it is also a beautiful meditation on the power of storieshow they guide us through difficult times, help us understand the past, and point the way toward our future.