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REVIEW: ‘The Red House’

JL;DR SUMMARY In her latest novel, "The Red House," Mary Morris masterfully explores themes of hidden identity, family secrets, and intergenerational trauma through the story of Laura Wilkins, a woman seeking to unravel her mother's mysterious disappearance. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish IdentityIntergenerational TraumaItalyFamily SecretsMary MorrisThe Red HouseMussolini's ItalyViola WilkinsLaura WilkinsPsychological Narrative

Places mentioned

New Jersey, United States
"Viola, walked out the front door from their home in suburban New Jersey on an ordinary school day in 1972 leaving behind her keys, wallet and paintings of a mysterious red house."
Italy
"Laura, now 42, to embark on a tour of Italy, her mothers birthplace, to uncover Violas childhood during the rise of Mussolini and learn about the events in her life that may have contributed to her disappearance."
New York City, New York, United States
"Robert Nagler Miller writes frequently about the arts, literature and Jewish themes from his home near New York City."

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Cairo Item ID 72942
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Retrieved 2026-01-17 05:30:35 UTC
Curated 2026-01-17 08:31:22 UTC