From Online Readers and Bloggers

I am utterly captivated with this book. . . Grunwald carefully weaves in actual psychological studies done on real "practice babies" as well as extremely clever character development of her own, generously spiced with the cultural details of the changes that happened throughout the 1950s and 60s to create a truly absorbing story. You've never read a book like this one. I guarantee it.

—tatteredcoverbookstore

Great setting, great characters, and great plotting. 

A+

—Jeannereads

This is a fascinating book that does a great job of exploring the human consequences of psychological theory, and would make for an excellent book club discussion about "Home Ec," philandering men and the challenges of motherhood in a more modern world.

—justthebookstore

Grunwald's buoyant prose is as bewitching as Henry. Clear and crisp, it glides effortlessly, ripe with terse paradoxes, engaging us with radiant characters. The author's ingenious insights into human behavior and her ability to keep the reader off-balance but fastened to the story is truly inspired.

—Amazon Vine Program reviewer switterbug

Beautifully written, great characters, thoughtful analysis, and a plot that keeps you riveted. I can't think of anything this book is missing.

— Amazon Vine Program E. Jacobs

From the Critics

To the ranks of iconic mid-century modern men Gump and Garp, add The Irresistible Henry House. As imagined by Lisa Grunwald, inspired by the peculiar beginnings of a real baby, Henry's life unspools with more realism and intention than Gump's, with less a sense of dread than Garp's. But Henry and his story have the same almost-magic magnetism. . . . The multidimensional generations of women in his life make a fascinating microcosm of the cultural revolution that redefined the expectations of all American women in the latter half of the 20th century. But it's Henry's struggle to define the desires of his own heart that propels this story, culminating in a scene as transcendent as Carver's Cathedral.
— Mari Malcolm, Amazon Best Books of the Month

Enthralling
— The Approval Matrix, New York Magazine

Epic and thoroughly engrossing. . . House sweeps along with such page-turning vitality that [Henry’s] story is indeed irresistible. Grade: A
— Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

A smart, enjoyable read that will leave you with a pleasing thought: Even for guys who just aren't that into anyone, there's hope.
— Kim Hubbard, Three stars, People Magazine

With the clever and accomplished Lisa Grunwald at the wheel, The Irresistible Henry House is as advertised. Irresistible. . . A little Irving, a little Doctorow, a little Winston Groom, Grunwald’s fifth novel is storytelling for story lovers: realism with an enchanting touch of fairy tale.
— Marion Winik, Newsday

Irresistible.
— Kathleen Daly, Newark Star-Ledger

The sure-handed Grunwald puts a wildly original spin on her character. . . By the book's final pages, as Henry circles back to his beginnings and attempts to come to terms with them, most readers will have succumbed to his charm.
— Daniel Stashower, AARP The Magazine

A soaring, heartfelt novel that spans three decades and an entire continent. Grunwald creates a wholly original and all too human character in Henry House. Despite his quirks and shortcomings (or perhaps because of them), Henry is one of the most likeable, relatable characters in recent memory.
— Amy Scribner, BookPage

Grunwald has created a wonderfully well-written story about a charming, lovable man who must learn to trust and love the women in his life.
—Booklist

A rueful but wry case study of nurture as nightmare.
—Kirkus, Starred Review

This welcome variation of coming-of-age tales shares with Grunwald's previous novels a compelling web of characters and emotions that will please the author's fans and readers who are interested in novels with emotional depth.
—Library Journal

FROM THE HUFFINGTON POST:

Long before parenthood was a noun, let alone a TV show, it was still, and always, the subject of debate and the source of drama. Rules versus instincts; permissiveness versus prohibitions: it's never mattered the decade; there have always been passionate conflicts, opposing advice, and bizarre approaches. One of them seemed so bizarre that I felt compelled to write a novel about it. . .

FROM THE DAILY BEAST:

Its spooky moon-pie face glows from the cradle like a radioactive Cabbage Patch Kid’s. A hand reaches out to touch its cheek, which dimples and twists in apparent pleasure. Yotaro, the new Japanese robot baby, is a marvel of computer simulation, even if the people brilliant enough to create it couldn’t find a simple English translation of its functions. According to the subtitles on its explanatory video, “Yotaro is a robot which you can experience physical contact like as with real baby.”

FROM POWELLS BOOK BLOG:

Stop me if you've heard this before, but writing a novel is a little like having sex. No two people do it alike, and there's only so much you want to know about other people's approaches. Nevertheless, I have a few times been asked — usually by very young people — what methods I recommend (for writing).I have published five novels, and my best answer has always been an abashed shrug. Whatever works. For me, every time is the first time. . .