Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty (2016) by Ramona Ausubel is a historical novel set in 1970s Martha’s Vineyard and Cambridge, Massachusetts. It follows Fern and Edgar Keating, a wealthy New England couple whose inherited fortune suddenly runs out. Edgar, a failed novelist estranged from his wealthy steel-industry parents, refuses to reconcile with them or take a conventional job. As their marriage fractures, both Fern and Edgar embark on separate journeys—Edgar into an affair, Fern into brief independence—while their children are left behind. The novel explores privilege, money, family expectations, and the illusion of freedom, ultimately questioning whether the Keatings can change or are doomed to repeat old patterns.
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