We are pleased to share a new reader’s guide for the 50th-anniversary edition of Ordinary People by Judith Guest, featuring a new foreword by psychoanalyst and New York Times bestselling novelist and memoirist Amy Bloom.
A Penguin Classic, Ordinary People introduced an original American voice when it was first published in 1976. The novel follows the Jarrett family as they reckon with the death of their eldest son and its profound effects on those left behind. Distinguished by Guest’s ear for dialogue and her unflinching portrait of grief, Ordinary People offers rich opportunities for classroom discussion of family dynamics, loss, mental health, communication, and healing. Fifty years after its publication, this iconic novel remains a powerful exploration of how individuals and families respond to tragedy.
