Commonwealth

Written by the best-selling author Ann Patchett, Commonwealth was published in 2016 and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Commonwealth tells the story of two families: the Keatings and the Cousins. In a nonlinear fashion, the novel follows their stories over fifty years from multiple points of view, although the dominant point of view comes from Franny Keating. The novel explores the burdens and joys of children and old age, how divorce and death create realignment in families, and the power and pleasure of storytelling.

Plot Summary

The story opens in Southern California at the home of Fix and Beverly Keating, who are having a christening party for their baby girl Franny. The party becomes wilder than expected once everyone starts drinking. Bert Cousins and his wife Teresa are two guests at the party. Bert becomes infatuated with Beverly, and ends up kissing her. Bert and Beverly eventually have an affair, divorce Fix and Teresa, marry each other, and move to Virginia. 

The story flashes forward almost fifty years. Fix Keating, now in his eighties, is dying of esophageal cancer, and his daughter Franny has come to visit and help him with his chemotherapy treatments.