GRIFTOPIA

After agreeing to help her sister, an anxiety-ridden teacher acquires a houseful of relatives—and new problems—in Vitello’s novel.

With “tangerine-tinged Hitler…back on the throne,” grifting has come to be seen as a legitimate method of earning money. Some in the Freischin family lean in this direction; Pearl Freischin has a conventional job as a high school science teacher in Portland, but her brother-in-law is a convicted embezzler. Pearl’s younger sister, the “entitled” Scarlett, persuades her daughter, Helena Parker, to monetize the talents of her own child, Burkleigh. The 6-year-old singer has perfect pitch and is adored on social media…until she performs an unfortunate rendition of “Strange Fruit.” Pearl’s son, Declan, follows a traditional medical student path before meeting a barista, George, whose side hustle is a dubious Etsy shop. Originally planning to give only Scarlett (who’s left penniless after her husband’s conviction) a place to stay, Pearl sees her stress levels escalate when Helena and Burkleigh, and then Declan and George, descend upon her once-peaceful house. Pearl and company eventually move to a rural setting, where George is able to practice her philosophy: “Reinvent yourself. The online gig economy is like the new gold rush.” Tapping into the popularity of tradwife content, George creates a successful internet channel starring herself, Declan, and Burkleigh as a conservative family, with Scarlett as manager. Pearl is skeptical of this scheme, but the choices she makes threaten to unravel her life, too. Hurtling along at the frenzied pace of a social media feed and darting off in as many directions, Vitello’s novel is consistently entertaining and humorous. The characters are flawed yet likable—though Helena continually hustles her child, she sincerely believes that “Her agenda [is] pure.” Pearl enjoys drugs and meaningless sex with a young, married man, but she’s protected the selfish Scarlett since their parents’ early death; the callow Declan treats Burkleigh with surprising kindness when they play an imaginary game on the playground. Though the setting occupies a minor role, Pearl’s Portland neighborhood in spring is beautifully described as an “emerald blanket” with the “tender texture” of new leaves, populated by somewhat pretentious “quasi-liberals.” It’s a nuanced take in line with the rest of Vitello’s book.

A fun, frenetic ride that bursts with ideas.