Pineapple Street is essentially about class divisions in the US in old Brooklyn Heights. This is a story that explores three key parts of family: relationships, values and money. The central characters are the women Darcey, Sasha and Georgiana, all of whom are conflicted about the wealth they have inherited through their family.

At first I struggled to get into this, largely because I couldn't connect with the main characters whom I found unlikeable. However, as the story unfolded, I grew to really empathise with the characters and the realistic portrayal of their actions. The younger members of the family showed themselves to be more open-minded and understanding of lower classes - although the story is more nuanced than that and it's interesting to see how characters coped and adapted in different ways.

I would LOVE to see this play out as TV series - think F Scott Fitzgerald meets Succession.

3.5/4 stars

Thank you for the review copy!

"Charting the path of three women within one prominent Brooklyn family, Pineapple Street is an evocative and beautifully observed exploration of class, money and different kinds of dreams from an exciting new voice in fiction.
This unputdownable debut follows three women in an old Brooklyn Heights clan: one who was born with money, one who married into it, and one who wants to give it all away.

Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected, carefully-guarded Stockton family, has never had to worry about money. Darley followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood, sacrificing more of herself than she ever intended. Sasha, Darley's new sister-in-law, has come from more humble origins, and her hesitancy about signing a pre-nup has everyone worried about her intentions. And Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can't (and really shouldn't) have, and must confront the kind of person she wants to be.

Rife with the indulgent pleasures of life among New York's one per centers - glittering parties, weekend homes and hungover brunches - Pineapple Street is a scintillating, escapist novel that sparkles with wit and wry humour. Full of recognisable, loveable if fallible characters (and a few appalling ones!), it's about the peculiar unknowability of someone else's family, the miles between the haves and have-nots and everything in between."


I requested this book because of Nick Hornby's recommendation on the cover ( like me, he considers Anne Tyler the greatest living writer in English) and was so happy I did. It feels like a slight, fast read about the lives of a very rich family in Brooklyn but it's much more than that. Relationships, family, love and class are examined acutely and I didn't want to put it down. How the rich live is kind of interesting but family relationships are much more so! And rich people are just like us but with more money. Highly recommend this novel from a new author.

My review is a bit ambivalent. There was no question that I was compelled to keep reading and that the storyline was interesting enough. However by the end, I felt a bit lacklustre. I wonder if its because I couldn't relate to the characters, which meant their feelings and actions didn't always make sense to me. Without this element of empathy, I felt less involved, committed, to what happened. Where some characters suck you in, charm you, make you feel like you already know them personally, I was left feeling distanced. Its a shame because it takes so much to write a book, and its beautifully written, but for me it wont be memorable.

As a quick overview, we follow the lives of three women living in the exclusive Pineapple Street, where only the wealthiest, oldest money live. Two of the women are the privilege daughters of the Stockton family, and the third has married the son but will forever be on the outside due to her class. We track their lives and challenges and see firsthand their blinkered approach on life.

For me Pineapple Street has been a bit of a guilty pleasure. Like when you cannot stop yourself from watching Celebrity Reality TV despite abhorring the idea of Celebrity/Family Reality TV shows.
And in many ways it is just that: a show, err I mean a novel lol, following the Stockton family as they navigated what it means to be an old money family in New York society. But also how they try to adapt to new realities like accepting a low birth daughter-in-law into the family and/or a Second Generation immigrant, albeit coming for a good family, son-in-law. Coming to terms with the rage against the 1%; wanting to be more than just your inheritance; opening up and learning to forge better relationships with those you consider family and so on...

But Pineapple Street is also the story of a 3 very different females. It was lovely seeing them navigate life with its up and downs, while coming into themselves, learning and developing into beautiful human beings!

All in all an entertaining read that kept me gripped from start to finish.

This is a book based on 3 strong female characters and their relationship with their wealth. I really enjoyable read

Pineapple Street is the story of the Stockton Family, told from 3 different perspectives (2 sisters and their sister in law). The story is one of family dynamics in a family that has everything. An engaging & entertaining read.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A novel about what it means to be extreme wealthy in modern America and how this influences class and life style as told through the members of an extended family of wealthy Americans
I found the characters interesting and well described the novel looks more at relationships and behaviours than anything else ,very little happens and the found because of this to was difficult to really care very much for any of them .I was interested in their money and life style but ultimately didn’t find myself carrying enough for any of them to get really invested in their outcomes they all seemed a bit two dimensional to me
The author has a easily comfortable prose style and the book was a restful read but I didn’t really understand the humour of the book
The fact that one of the women had no idea how much her fortune was worth and when she did discover it was 37 million Dollars I found horrifying
I can see that this novel will gain its fans but it somehow missed the mark for me
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published in the Uk 13th April 2023 by Random House Uk

Little slow to start with but I persevered and glad I did. Thankyou for giving me the chance to read in advance

What always surprises me about American novels that purport to deal with the class divide is that they never have anything to do with class, only money. I suppose that's what passes for class in the USA. If the families in this novel were truly upper class (in the British terminology) they would be as poor as church mice with their ancient stately pile being owned and run by the National Trust. They'd have no clue what clothes were in fashion and the house would be filled with "old retainers" and dogs.

In the US version that we meet in Pineapple Street, the Stocktons are considered upper class because they are extremely wealthy. They marry other wealthy people and if you dare to marry someone less wealthy then you get a pre-nup.

The youngsters (not even that young) are Cord (married to middle/working class) Sasha, Darley married to middle class Malcolm and Georgiana who, despite being mid twenties is repeatedly referred to as a "baby" or not quite adult.

I spent a healthy amount of time rolling my eyes at the ridiculous situations - the "fundraisers", parties, socialising and general idiocy of the moneyed classes.

Of course there has to be a reckoning for each child and as the novel progresses they each have fundamental changes thrust upon them.

It's an easy novel to read. It has nothing to do with class and everything to do with money. The characters aren't particularly likeable bit nor are they so revolting you can't understand their behaviour.

All in all this would make a good holiday read. (

A Surprisingly Gripping Read.😍💘🎾🧯
Pineapple Street

This book has a slow start but I encourage you to stick with it. Once you've broken through the surface of Darley, Sasha and Georgiana's lives, their interconnectedness becomes clearer, as do their unconscious prejudices.😳 The need to have money, to protect family money, and to marry money, although scoffed at is a way of life for many, though they won't admit it!

Sasha hates the way they all stick together and refuse to update anything about their lives, or their overstuffed houses. She's left feeling like an outsider at every turn.😢 Georgie is a brat, although she wouldn't ever recognise that about herself. She makes a really selfish decision with her heart. That choice will rock the foundations of their world and all she believes!😢 Darley married for love.💘 She passed her inheritance on to her children, skipping herself - as though she'd died, and her husband is a Korean immigrant. So of course she doesn't hold any prejudices.🤷🏻‍♀️

This is a witty, at times 'cringe worthy' and enlightening look at the New York, old money 1%'ers. It's well written and really enjoyable.😆

Debbie, 1970, UK

It’s not the ideal time to be reading about the super rich and privileged and their problems but I enjoyed this a lot more than I’d have expected. Probably helps that I know Brooklyn/Heights and it really took me back there. The characters are a bit charicaturey - especially the older generation - and it’s not the deepest exploration of family and class I’ve ever read, but it’s sufficiently recognisable to be a fun read, and not one that left me wishing I was obscenely wealthy. Fortunately.

Oh how the other half live!

I learned so much about the super rich by reading this book. You would think they wouldn’t have any problems with so much money, but money can still make people miserable. Then there is the added worry of being either self made rich or living off your inheritance.

Firstly let’s talk about Pineapple Street itself which I found fascinating, so much so, that I had to look it up online. Alongside Cranberry Street and Orange Street, these streets were supposedly named after the farming activities of the Hick’s brothers who were part of the aristocracy and can be found in Brooklyn Heights. Whenever I’ve read about Brooklyn before it has always been portrayed as a rough area populated by a wealth of different cultures but Brooklyn Heights is full of wealthy families who have inherited tons of money without having to lift a finger.

I then found I had to look up the definition of philanthropist as I didn’t realise it meant donating money to charities and good causes. To have such substantial funds, that you can donate a million pounds without it putting a dent in piggy bank. 😮

The various characters in this book each had their own grievances with wealth. From prenups to bypassing your inheritance and the ones that always comes to mind when you think about being rich - gold diggers and hangers on.

I found this whole book fascinating and sharply observant. I didn’t feel it was a celebration of wealth rather an in-depth analysis of the effects of wealth. The Stockton family portray the different relationships people have with money and how it effects the people around them and the decisions they make.

This book is definitely worth a read to make you realise that money can’t buy you happiness.

When I first started this book, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to enjoy it in view of the upper class family setting. However, I quickly become engrossed by the characters and enjoyed finding out more about them. The story moves between 3 main female characters (2 sisters and their sister in law) and through the extended family and I liked the way it was all interlinked, exploring romantic and family relationships as well as friendships. I felt it was well written and the pace was just right. Based on this debut novel, I would happily read more of this authors work

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House and Cornerstone for my free advanced copy. This review is my own honest opinion.

I do love a character-driven family drama, even if it did turn my stomach a bit to imagine their fancy pants millionaire lifestyles during this cost of living crisis 😬 …escapism, right?! I ummed and ahhed between three and four stars here, but went with four because I spent the last few days picking this up wherever I could to steal a couple of pages here and there: a nice little feeling that doesn’t come along often.

This was a surprisingly difficult novel to review and a really good example of why star ratings are not really the ideal marker of a book's quality. I was sold on trying it due to the 'family saga' angle which is absolute catnip to me and I thought Jackson did a fantastic job of creating a family that was both recognisable and unique. The story is told from the POV of three female characters - Georgiana and Darley (siblings from the main Stockton family) and Sasha, who has married their brother Cord. I enjoyed the different viewpoints this facilitated and the ability to learn more about each sibling's life outside of the central family unit. I particularly loved the rendering of Darley and Malcolm's marriage, although it did feel unbelievably perfect! Georgiana probably has the most interesting narrative arc of the three women, and I really liked the discussions around inherited wealth that her storyline invoked. Sasha's family background is also explored a little which provides a nice juxtaposition to the extreme wealth and society centric one she marries into.

The interrogation of the morality and responsibilities surrounding inherited wealth were probably what interested me most about this book. It's always fun reading about the super rich but it's also absolutely been done before so this was a great twist on the subject and genuinely sparked some debate between my husband and myself. I found that in general Jackson showed depth of knowledge (or excellently done research) on a number of topics in the book: New York society, the property market, the financial industry and, perhaps most intriguingly, the financial side of the aviation industry.

Ultimately there's a lot to like about this novel and I definitely found that I sped through the final third of the story. However it took me an incredibly long time to get into the book in the first place. I thought that the more interesting aspects of each character didn't begin to evolve until quite late in the novel and they were instead kept superficial for a little too long. The reason that, despite all the things I genuinely loved about 'Pineapple Street', I didn't love the book as a whole was simply that I was left wanting more. More of each character's story, more of Sasha's family, more interplay between the Stockton siblings and parents. I resented how long it took to get into the book because, once I was in, there seemed to be so much to explore that was only touched upon. There seemed to be so many interestingly messy emotions and yearnings that were suddenly neatly tied up at the end that I felt a little cheated out of what could've been a number of emotive and nuanced moments between characters.

In summary I do think this novel is worth a read. As I mentioned earlier there's plenty to like, it's a really fun depiction of a New York society family and how interlinked their personalities and decisions are with their money. There are loads of interesting relationships and little twists that are really enjoyable and some really amusing scenes.

An interesting read.

This is a story about people with untold wealth and old New York money, so that was not something that I could relate to immediately. The story flips between the three women of the Stockton family. Two born into it and Sasha who has married into the family and money.

Some of the story goes into the past lives of the three women and provides a backdrop to see how they got where they are now. The style of writing is very clipped, very NY and moves along at speed. I could relate to Sasha the most with her realisation that when the chips are down, family sticks together against you whether you are in the right or not.

A few twists along the way and not the ending I was expecting meant I kept reading this book to the last page. I got so caught up in the lives of these people that I forgot I had finished it, and was wondering today what was going to happen next.

The book lost one star for me as some of the USA references didn't translate for me.

Loved this novel! I found it a very easy interesting read that really pulled me in and I was so interested to see how the relationships and issues they had worked out. I was reading last night and was really disappointed to see I was 97% through it so it was ending :( I finished it then needless to say and the ending did not disappoint - I so hope there is a part 2 coming for this as there is plenty more story to tell I think. I can also see this as a movie or series - it was fab! Great work on your debut novel thank you #JennyJackson, hope there are more books in the pipeline.
Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley

This was a pleasant read, easy to pick up and put down. At times I wondered where this was going and wasn’t sure that I even liked the characters but at the end I was left wanting to know what next for the family.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Set in a very wealthy New York this is the story of three women who all belong to the same Stockton family. There is Darley - the eldest daughter, who has married a successful businessman and lost her own successful career along the way as motherhood has taken over. There is Georgiana, the youngest daughter, who has found herself in an unsuitable relationship and has an uncomfortable relationship with the family wealth. Finally there is Sasha, married to the Stockton only son Cord, who is seen by the family as a GoldDigger - not for any good reason, but purely as she hasn't come from wealth herself and the family have made illogical assumptions.

Examining each of their lives, and their relationship with vast wealth. Some good societal insight and hard truths about the impact that wealth has, and the impact on friendship groups, relationships and family dynamics.

Doesn't go in too heavy - so this is a lightish read and very easy to get into. Very enjoyable, just not sure that redemption was reached!

I have to admit that I took a bit of time to get around to this book, but the summary really appealed and once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.

This story is one of family dynamics in a family that has it all. It’s about class and culture and what it all means to the Stocktons.

Tilda and Chip are obsessed with their position in society, and in maintaining the status quo, so their daughter-in-law Sasha, who has married into the family doesn’t quite fit in. No matter what she does she can’t seem to break into the tight-knit unit they created. Cord frustrated me on many occasions when reading this because he just let his wife flounder in the familial home where things were never allowed to change - everything was on a set routine and nothing was allowed to get in the way of it.

Georgiana, the youngest child, is entitled, having grown up over-indulged and spoilt rotten, but is she destined to become a cliché? Only time will tell, but she is battling against stereotypes, though her choices should and are called into question, especially when she makes a decision that could destroy everything.

Meanwhile, the middle child, Darley, is having to pretend that everything is going well, when in reality her husband has been fired from his job and she is having to hide this development from her family to save face.

All of these things contribute towards a family that is like a bank of graceful swans on the surface, but paddling madly underneath to keep up appearances. And this is the case with Pineapple Street and the Stockton family.

Overall, this was an interesting read. A lot happened, but as someone unfamiliar with the upper echelons of American society I did find myself at a bit of a loss on occasion, but I skipped through this book quickly. The writing was engaging, the character development was well-done and this glimpse into the life of an affluent family is enlightening.