This Family: Your perfect summer read

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Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex This family has been broken for some time, but today they will all be together for the first in time in years. Marys daughters, Phoebe, Rosie and Emma together in their childhood home despite the emotional and physical distance that has been pushing them further apart. Bestselling author Alexandra Potter, author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY SOMETHING F***-UP & MORE CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY SOMETHING F***-UP. This Family is Kate Sawyer’s second novel, the follow up to her debut novel The Stranding about a woman who climbs into the mouth of a whale at the end of the world. I adored The Stranding and haven’t stopped recommending it since 2021.

Told by a chorus of characters, it is an exploration of the small moments that bring us to where we are, the changes that are brought about by time, and what, despite everything, stays the same.Fans of The Stranding, rest assured - This Family is every bit as good and then some. An absolute treat from start to finish -- Natasha Calder I haven't really read any novels before that so clearly depict a short stint of time, while also providing the characters' entire life histories for context. The details were revealed gradually, and they were revealed well, eventually bringing the separate threads to a satisfying and interwoven conclusion.

A terrific debut. Brave, unexpected… transfixing and captivating… full of hope, resilience and love.’ THE SUNDAY TIMES Told from multiple points of view, it follows four generations of one family as they come together for a wedding. This will be the first time they are all together since unknown events fractured them into pieces, but sisters Emma, Phoebe, and Rosie have agreed to put their own feelings aside for their mother Mary’s special day. But the pain runs deep between them, and they are unprepared for some of the feelings that arise when they see one another for the first time in years. This novel perfectly encapsulates the essence of family life with all of its messiness, drama, pain, and complex relationships. This is a family that is broken and we see how tensions run even higher during claustrophobic and anxiety-laden situations such as a wedding. The characters are all richly drawn, compelling, flawed and relatable. I had a particular affinity for Mary, who is a kind, selfless woman that has always given her all to her family, even raising the child her husband had with his mistress after her death. I think a lot of this affinity stemmed from having raised children from two families in a blended household myself, as well as the fact that my children are now grown and I’ve just had my second wedding. I also really enjoyed Irene, the cantankerous mother of Mary’s ex-husband Richard and the delightful Rosie, who was the only sister talking to everyone. Demands to be experienced . . . A glorious, sweeping family saga from one of the most exciting novelists of recent times -- Jessica Moor For a book that has quite a meditative tone, it is not at all slow paced. The chapters are fairly short, and it is very difficult to end a reading session on a present day chapter because the next one will segue into a memory that you will be curious to access. Subtle, intelligent, and so deeply moving . . . people who just feel so achingly real. Extraordinary -- A. J. WestFeels like the ultimate eavesdropping exercise, it’s satisfying fresh and expertly structured. The penultimate chapter will make you shriek. I loved it’ – Alexandra Heminsley Fans of The Stranding, rest assured-- This Family is every bit as good and then some. An absolute treat from start to finish.' NATASHA CALDER This family saga takes a bit of getting into as it switches between the past and present but through which we learn what has caused the dislocation between them. It’s definitely a slow burner as it drifts and meanders through the timelines but what’s absolutely without question is that it’s beautifully written. This fact keeps me continuing on and which draws me into the dramas making it compelling. It becomes full of emotion as the complex dynamics reveal themselves. The characterisation is excellent, the author makes them feel real as we peek into the past and the events of wedding day as we witness them experiencing a whole range of things. Mary is fantastic, she’s a remarkable and wonderful woman. She’s kind, she rises to challenges and there are plenty of those, she’s simply doing her best. They have all been through some experiences such as tragedy and grief and via this, the understanding grows of the complications of this family. A masterfully composed, perfectly observed family chronicle that feels utterly real in its evocations of grief, anger and love.' EMMA HUGHES

The scattered members of Mary's close family are coming together to celebrate her marriage. Her one wish is that they can lay aside their differences for one day, to make one happy memory in the house that has meant so much to them all over the years. This Family is the latest by The Stranding author, Kate Sawyer. I loved that book so much and I know lots of you reading this did too. The author has the ability to define characters so well that you really feel by the end of the story that you know them all and I could recognise my own friends and family members in them

Summary

Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration Only when the comforts and complications of her old existence are gone, does Ruth finally realise how she might be able to live to the fullest. A compelling portrait of modern family politics... A must read for anybody ( everybody!) who's loved and despaired over their nearest and dearest. I loved it." - Aingeala Flannery It is my dearest wish, that after so long apart, I am able to bring this family together for my wedding day.