Commonwealth

The novel begins in 1960s Southern California with a christening party that takes an unexpected turn. Bert Cousins arrives uninvited with a bottle of gin and kisses the host’s wife, Beverly Keating. This singular event leads to the dissolution of two marriages and the forced blending of two families—the Keatings and the Cousins. Spanning five decades, the story follows the six children as they navigate their shared summers in Virginia, forming a bond rooted in a shared resentment of their parents and a tragic secret that defines their youth. As adults, their lives are disrupted again when Franny Keating begins an affair with a legendary author, Leon Posen, who uses her family's private history as the basis for a bestselling novel. The siblings are forced to confront their past, their parents' choices, and the enduring connections that bind them together.

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