The Latecomer is a contemporary fiction novel written by New York Times bestselling author Jean Hanff Korelitz. Celadon Books published the book on May 31, 2022, as the eighth novel by the author. It was reported that the book will be adapted for television by Made Up Stories film production company.
The story focuses on the wealthy Oppenheimer family in New York City from the 1960s to the later 2010s. It is divided into three parts which begin with a marriage and IVF births followed by the experiences of the parents' grown children. Their union is filled with unfortunate moments, but they manage to have triplets through IVF. As young adults, the three siblings seek to build their lives away from their parents and each other. They each have their shortcomings that make their familial bond difficult to keep strong. Moreover, their parents' marriage is falling apart upon the wife discovering her husband's secret family. This prompts her to have another child from the fourth embryo through a surrogate mother. In 2017, the child is a young teenager who is aware of the family's broken bonds and wounds that she works to heal.
The Latecomer refers to the fourth child who would come to act as a catalyst for the healing that is long overdue. This novel explores themes of generational trauma, dysfunctional families, guilt, infidelity, and privilege. The New York Times wrote “If this novel is funny, it is also cutting, a nearly forensic study of family conflict. Husband and wife are at odds; children pull away not only from their parents but from one another. Nimbly, Korelitz juggles the stories of each parent and child, weaving a tapestry of secrets, antipathies and private quests.”
