The Big Book of Misunderstanding is a refreshingly candid novel that combines the emotional depth of Sue Miller with the comic verve of Stephen MacCauley. The story opens as Joshua Royalton - 22-years-old, gay, and an aspiring children's book writer - briefly contemplates suicide, asking himself the question:

"Do I have to end my life to end my childhood?"

To come up with his answer, Josh leads readers on a tumultuous jaunt through his family history. The Royaltons, Josh explains, are "like Norman Rockwell run amok, so wholesome it's perverse." Rendering the feverish - and often hilarious - imagination of a troubled youngster's mind with pitch-perfect accuracy, Jim Gladstone takes readers on a wild ride through pop cultural touchstones of the 1970s and 1980s while maintaining a sense of emotional intimacy that will keep readers highly invested in the developing lives of the Royalton family.

The Big Book of Misunderstanding is about the members of a family 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.