The Nest

Every family has its problems. But even among the most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point on an unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. He has single-handedly endangered the Plumbs' joint trust fund, "The Nest," which they are months away from finally receiving.

The Plumb siblings have watched The Nest's value soar along with the stock market and have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems. From Melody's looming college tuition for her twin teenage daughters to Jack's secret mortgage that threatens his antique store to Bea's overdue novel, all three siblings need Leo to make them whole. Can Leo rescue his family and, by extension, the people they love? Or will everyone need to reimagine the futures they've envisioned?

Brought together as never before, Leo, Melody, Jack, and Beatrice must grapple with old resentments, present-day truths, and the significant emotional and financial toll of the accident, as well as finally acknowledge the choices they have made in their own lives.

The Nest is a story about the power of family, the possibilities of friendship, the ways we depend upon one another, and the ways we let one another down. In this tender, entertaining, and deftly written debut, Sweeney brings a remarkable cast of characters to life to illuminate what money does to relationships, what happens to our ambitions over the course of time, and the fraught yet unbreakable ties we share with those we love.