The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by John Seabrook

The riveting saga of the Seabrook Family, by one of The New Yorker’s most acclaimed storytellers.“Having left this material for his writer son, my father must have wanted the story told, even if he couldn’t bear to tell it himself.” So begins the story of a forgotten American dynasty, a farming family from the bean fields of southern New Jersey who became as wealthy and powerful as aristocrats―only to implode in a storm of lies.The patriarch, C. F. Seabrook, was hailed as the “Henry Ford of Agriculture.” His son Jack, a keen businessman, was poised to take over what Life called “the biggest vegetable factory on earth.” But the carefully cultivated facade―glamorous outings by horse-drawn carriage, hidden wine cellars, and movie star girlfriends―hid dark secrets that led to the implosion of the family business.At the heart of the narrative is a multi-generational succession battle. It’s a tale of family secrets and Swiss bank accounts, of half-truths, of hatred and passion―and lots and l