text: after this after this is a 2006 novel by award - winning american author alice mcdermott . the novel follows a working - class american family who reside on long island , new york and their four children , who are enduring their own experiences during the times of the sexual revolution . it is set during the mid - 20th century , a time after the end of world war ii , through to the presidency of richard nixon . the book received many positive reviews from critics , often commenting on the writing styles of mcdermott . the pittsburgh post - gazette commented that the storyline is " sophisticated in design , spare like an elegant entrée at a fine restaurant . " the book was highlighted among the 100 notable books of the year of the new york times . about the author alice mcdermott was born in brooklyn , new york on june 27 , 1953 . in 1975 , mcdermott received her b.a. from the state university of new york and her from the university of new hampshire in 1978 . she began writing at an early stage in her life , although her first novel , a ' daughter , was not published until 1982 . in 1987 , mcdermott was a recipient of the whiting writers award for her novels , several of which had been finalists for the pulitzer prize or winners of the national book award . content the book is set on long island , new york , shortly after the ending of world war ii . mary rose , a lonely , thirty - year - old woman with the responsibility of looking after her father and brother , leaves church on an april day in the 1940s . she goes to a 's outlet and becomes acquainted with a man there ordering food . when she sees him there the next day , the pair begin dating and eventually marry . together , they have four children . their first three children , jacob , michael , and annie live with their parents in an irish - catholic community on long island . their fourth child , claire , is delivered by a neighbor of the family in the lounge of their house as a hurricane is heading towards the eastern seaboard . the book follows the family through the 1960s and 1970s , as the children enter adolescence and discover themselves during the changing times of the 1960s and the sexual revolution . the keane children , on entering early adulthood , begin to break away from their family and religious backgrounds . jacob , the eldest child , serves in vietnam and is killed in the french trenches . michael moves away from long island and goes to study in a college in northern new york , but later turns to sex and drugs . meanwhile , annie , the bookworm of the family , leaves to study in england , but quickly changes her plans after meeting a man on a bus whom she likes . claire , the youngest , returns from a summer vacation to her former catholic high school , showing a changed personality and increased self - confidence . reception the washington post commented that " in after this there is no excess , no look - at - me pyrotechnics in her prose ; with the mastery of a poet , she distills the life of the to its essence . " a review by the chicago tribune noted that " it is hard to know how to start piling on the praise for this gripping , poignant book . it would seem there is no technique of fiction mcdermott has not mastered . like the masters , she makes it look effortless . " writing for the new york city - circulated wall street journal , kate flatley praised the book , praised the book , writing : " through sharp , funny , heartbreaking and breathtaking vignettes , ms. mcdermott conveys the family 's evolution ( and america 's too ) — from john and mary 's first meeting at a diner in postwar new york city through the children 's traditional catholic school youth in the 1950s to the inevitable turbulence of the 1960s . " usa today wrote " mcdermott 's prose is stunning yet emotionally cool , " adding : " while it fails as a cohesive novel , after this shines in its small moments , much like a story collection . " entertainment weekly described it as a " lovely of a novel . " the economist reviewed the book positively , writing " after this is more than a book about an influential time in history and its effect on those living through it . in its portrayal of the emotions that hold people and families together — the loyalties and frustrations , the sorrows and joys — this quietly unusual novel is ultimately about what it is to be human . "