An entire family comes-of-age simultaneously in this tender, funny novel of two growing sons and their arrested-adolescent parents. Perceptively capturing both the warmth and the friction within a memorably eccentric suburban clan, Jim Gladstone has crafted a work of of great humor, heart, and psychological insight.

Irresistibly quirky 22-year-old narrator Joshua Royalton. recounts the elaborate tales, theories and neuroses he developed to cope with family life, including a fictional history of tacky Chinese restaurant decor, a severe case of crow-phobia, an obsession with Carly Simon, an extreme aversion to jigsaw puzzles, and a deep fascination with the little known sport of jai alai.

Gladstone takes readers on a wild ride through pop cultural touchstones of the 1970s and 1980s, all the while creating a deep sense of emotional intimacy: Readers will not be able to stop turning pages as they follow the four Royaltons stepping beyond the family unit to discover their individual identities.

The Big Book of Misunderstanding is a comic celebration of people who insist on figuring out how to love each other despite their differences—and despite the indelible similarities they sometimes wish they didn't share.