"Them" Is Grand

Synopsis: Writer Francine du Plessix Gray's memoir about the rise of her Russian-emigrant-to-toast-of-the-town socialite parents. "Them: A Memoir of Parents" comprised some of my favorite subjects: Russian angst, French culture, New York's high society circa 1930-1960. I'm a fan of Francine du Plessix Gray (I've read "At Home with the Marquis de Sade," "Rage and Fire," "Lovers and Tyrants," and "Soviet Women"). I love her writer's voice and humor. The book only sometimes devolves into a Mommy and Daddy Dearest diatribe; overall, du Plessix Gray is amazingly objective in analyzing her parents' self-absorption. As well, she's pretty insightful and self-critical about her self. (Image via Amazon)