This was the first book I've read by Yoerg but I think I'll be back for more. I love family dramas and this one delivered. I thought the characters were well drawn and I admired their strength, resilience, and bond. This novel covers adventures, dreams, loyalty, loss, heartbreak, grief, forgiveness, hope, and love. It could be a good pick for book clubs as the lighter writing lends way to deeper themes.

This is a good story. There are some triggers, I would say, for people who may have had a neglect filled childhood. It does a good job of telling a story of a family of 11 through loss, grief, growing up too fast, having responsibilities too heavy for their ages, and recovering. The kids do a good job of working together to make things work, eventually fixing their family and moving forward in a healthy way. I recommend this book if you do not get upset about family issues. If you get frustrated reading, keep going, the story needs to be told to completion.

As much as I wanted to like this one, it was ultimately a DNF for me. I typically get about 1/3 of the way through a book before I decide to give up, but this wasn't the book for me.

2/5 Stars

What a great book. This is the first book I read from this author and will look forward to more from her.

The first few chapters confused me a bit but once I realized the USS Nepenthe was a boat turned playhouse for the children, I got it and I absolutely loved it.

I loved how the author introduced the children and let you see what their strong and weak points were. The mother was truly the glue that kept this family together and her love for her family was so evident. It was truly a hard book to put down and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters and their stories.

The Family Ship by Sonja Yoerg is a family drama and a very character-driven story. Yoerg takes a close look at all the different relationships and family dynamics, and I was glad that she chose to do a few different viewpoints for them since the family is quite large at a total of nine. I was blown away by the quality of her writing and the amazing characterization. The story was very emotional, and so well done, and Yoerg was able to fully submerge me into this family and all of their issues and difficulties. I have read a fair share of books that focus on families, but none quite like this one and I thought it was a very unique decision to use an oyster boat as an integral part of the story.

This book is on Kindle Unlimited with a 'listen free' option, so I decided to do the audio and I was not disappointed. Lisa Flanagan is a very talented narrator, and she did such a wonderful job with this novel. She was great with the emotional scenes and was just a fantastic choice overall. Due to the slower pacing of family dramas and literary fiction, I prefer to go with audio, and it worked well for me with The Family Ship. It is such an emotional character dive, so listening to the book really helped keep my interest and keep things moving for me. Yoerg is a stunning writer, and I am so happy that I finally read one of her novels. Literary fiction and family drama lovers - take notice! And this would make a great choice for a book club as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a story of family and how circumstances shape one. I always wanted a large family and I loved reading about this one. The characters are complex and the author introduces each one brilliantly.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

A family drama set in the 1980s surrounding couple Arthur and Maeve Vergennes and their nine children- Jude, Verity, Eden, Spider(Arthur Jr), Harper, Roy, Wallace, Cyrus and Nellie( Penelope). Sonja Yoerg takes readers into the heart of the ties that can bind and tear a family apart. Written from a multi-character perspective, this novel certainly drew me in from page one.

Not since the Waltons have I been so charmed by a large family story. Both my parents came from large families( Dad was #7 of 11 and Mom #5 of 7) and so throughout my life, I have heard many stories of sibling togetherness and separation. I appreciated that Vergennes showed the way different relationships emerge and evolve and how there are natural-born allies in a big family( like Jude and Eden). I have a feeling the Vergennes family will linger with me for a very long time.






Publication Date 23/02/21
Goodreads review 09/03/21

#TheFamilyShip #NetGalley

Emotional, dramatic & sometimes tragic story of a large family. They live in the Chesapeake Bay area in the 1980's. They have an old oyster boat in their yard which they've restored somewhat & all 9 children pretend it's a destroyer. The parents let them play at being sailors in order to help w/discipline.
Verity, the second oldest is captain of the ship. The eldest son left many years ago and has left a hole in the family unit. Verity just wants to leave home and attend college but the family really needs her to stay and help out. Their mother is also pregnant & not well.
Normally I don't care for alternating, multiple POV chapters but in this case it works.
There was some humor. It's a complex, strong story of family relationships.

Absolute gem of a book. I started this book and the first few chapters I dine understand what I was getting into or what was going on. The more I read however , I couldn’t put this down. Heartbreaking and beautiful, this novel grew in me with every chapter. Having grown up with four brothers and being the oldest , I related so much to the characters. This novel will stay with with me for quite some time. Beautifully written.

I am eternally grateful for Sonja Yoerg reaching out a few years ago asking if I wanted to review her debut novel, House Broken. I fell in love with it and knew that Yoerg was going to be one to watch! I have since read all of her books and am always excited to see when her next book is going to drop.

Her books are always well written with powerful story telling that will draw readers in. Basically it’s a no brainer when I see one of her books come up for a review—-yes! I saw the cover for this one and was instantly drawn curious about what was going to be inside to discover.

Many of Yoerg’s books focus on familial relationships (mother/daughter etc) and I love seeing the dynamics between all the characters and their respective families. This book promised to be the most complex familial relationship book yet and I couldn’t wait to dive into the characters and their family dynamics!

Summary
Chesapeake Bay, 1980. Eighteen-year-old Verity Vergennes is the captain of the USS Nepenthe, and her seven younger siblings are her crew. The ship—an oyster boat transformed into a make-believe destroyer—is the heart of the Vergennes family, a place both to play and to learn responsibility. But Verity’s had it with being tied to the ship and secretly applies to a distant college. If only her parents could bear to let her go.

Maeve and Arthur Vergennes already suffered one loss when, five years earlier, their eldest son, Jude, stormed out and never returned. Now Maeve is pregnant again and something’s amiss. Verity yearns to follow her dreams, but how can she jump ship now? The problem, and perhaps the answer, lies with Jude.

When disaster strikes and the family unravels, Verity must rally her sibling crew to keep the Nepenthe and all it symbolizes afloat. Sailing away from home, she discovers, is never easy—not if you ever hope to find your way back. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
I do not have a big family. Honestly I never wanted any other siblings and being from a small family was totally fine by me. In fact, I was content being an only child (I have 1 sister who is 7 years younger than me) and I never really saw the appeal of a large family—-until I married into one. My husband if one of 5 siblings (he’s the oldest). He has 10 aunts/uncles on one side of the family and they each have at least 5 kids. So there are cousins galore and they all live within a 1 mile radius. It was a big adjustment for me when we got married. There was ALWAYS a family member at showing up or celebrating a life event. My husband was the first to get married in the cousins group so our wedding was a big deal for the family. In the almost 20 years since our wedding, it’s been so fun being part of the large family dynamic. There is a pecking order among the siblings, cousins, and tias and tios…..and unspoken rules that people follow and no one has any privacy. Everyone knows everything about everyone. I love it which is why I connected with this book is a unique way!

I loved the Vergennes family. They were everything a large family is! It didn’t feel like the large family dynamic was forced at all. It felt like the author really understood how large families worked and all the little nuanced dynamics that existed for each family member. The beauty of this novel is not only found within the story itself, but within the Vergennes family. Not just the individual characters (which were great on their own) but the large family dynamic is like it’s own character and that shines in this novel. Yes the characters have their own trials and tribulations and lessons to learn, but I love seeing the Vergennes family function as it’s own ‘character’ so to speak. The author captures all the excitement and joy of a large family and how unique their dynamic truly is. This was my favorite aspect of the novel hands down. The other fun little bit was the Vergennes family lived on a ship which gave it a little Swiss Family Robinson vibe which was so fun and reminded me of my childhood. So great!

Every time Yoerg comes out with a new novel, I feel like ‘this is the best one yet!’ but then she comes out with something else and I am left eating my words! This one for me has been the best novel she has written. Having read her earlier books (which were wonderful too!) I have had the opportunity to watch her writing style grow and polish. This novel has heart, tragedy, comedy, love, healing, growth, and healing. I loved how well Yoerg has captured the feel of a close knit large family and yet managed to create unique and independent characters for readers to explore and enjoy. I laughed, I cried, and I finished this one feeling content and happy. If you are looking for a heartfelt book that is heartwarming but also takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, then this is the one for you!

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition

Expected publication: February 23rd 2021 by Lake Union Publishing

Free review copy provided by publisher, Lake Union Publishing in partnership with the Tall Poppy Writers/Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 5 stars

Genre: womens fiction

Sonja Yoerg has written an epic family drama of 9 children on a boat and their hopes and dreams.

This will touch many lives - much beyond those 9 children.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Oh my heart. As I finish The Family Ship, I feel like I have journeyed with a family that I have come to love.

The Family Ship is about the Vergennes family in the 1980s in Chesapeake Bay. The family has eight children and each chapter is told from the point of view from the different children. I loved that all the children told the story including the young ones.

Arthur Vergennes, a Navy veteran, moved his family to the Chesapeake Bay area to a house that was somewhat secluded and included a boat that had not been used for some years. The children of the family used the boat, which they called a ship, as their playground. Arthur used the ship as a means to teach his children how to work together. The ship becomes a central part of the story.

I enjoyed reading about this large family. Oh Vergennes family. I will not forget you anytime soon.

Yoerg does a good job in foreshadowing. I knew as I was reading that there was trouble coming and that is all I will say not to give away anything.

Stop reading now if you don't want any possible spoilers.










Warning: Triggers may be sexual assault and parental loss.

My only possible complaint with the story is that Arthur obviously had some mental health issues. These issues were escalating at a frightening degree. It was a bit unbelievable that Arthur so quickly turned around his mental health. Yes, I understand that it can happen but Arthur had gone off the deep end at the point when Jude had returned to the house during the storm. For this reason I rated the book 4.5 stars

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This is the second book that I have read by this author. True Places was excellent. A real page turner. I loved it. I was not quite as happy with this one. It was not horrible mind you but didn't give me what I love in this type of book either.

Maeve and Arthur Vergennes have nine children: Jude, Verity, Eden, Spider, Harper, Roy, Wallace, Cyrus, and Nellie. They are expecting a tenth. I can't begin to imagine having that many siblings much less children.

The children all have certain responsibilities. They also have a boat in their yard that they play on. It's a bit more than playing but it's not like they are out at sea either. I think it was to teach them some kind of responsibility and give them something to do. Each had a part to do and they did it. These children are very good, well behaved, and seem to love each other deeply. They basically get along better than normal families seem too. I would expect with this many that there would be a lot of bickering or jealously involved but there isn't. The older children basically take care of the younger ones and the parents keep having more. Not fair but that is the way it is.

Jude and Verity are the oldest and have the bulk of the responsibility. They can't just go out and do things with friends or normal teen things. That I found to be unrealistic. Almost all teens would rebel against that. But these children in the Vergennes family are almost too perfect. They have very loving parents. The mother is always there to make them feel better if anything happens and the dad works hard but is also very loving to his children. But his wife is the love of his life and he loves her above anything and anyone.

When a tragedy strikes this family it strikes hard. There is a breakdown in the family and things seem to be falling apart. There is some mental breakdowns, sexual assault, family anger, and one child leaves. But you know that in the end all will be ok.

This book has three parts and each is very important to the story. It's told from each child and the mother's POV and if you are not careful you might lose your way. I was able to keep up but found that some of it was not necessary. I believe it would have been better to just tell from maybe the older two and both parents POV. But what do I know. I'm not the author.

It was a well written story and had lots of emotion in it. All the feels you expect. It was just not what I was expecting, thus the three stars. I found it hard to connect to anyone because there were just too many. The descriptions were great. You did feel like you was there. Especially in the storm. That was a very intense part and was the turning point for this family.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #SonjaYoerg, #LakeUnionPublishers for this ARC. These are my own true feelings about this book.

I gave it 3/5 stars but only because I could not connect with anyone. Other than that it was a good story. I do recommend that you read this one. You may absolutely love it. Enjoy!

The Family Ship could easily be one of my favorites, if not very favorite book of 2021! When I was first reading it, I didn't feel a connection with the family. I didn't care abot the ship and the silly navy game. Then I started to bond with the characters and couldn't put it down. By the end, I had tears in my eyes and I wanted it to never end. So beautifully heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time.

I was so excited to receive an ARC copy of The Family Ship because I loved Sonia Yoerg's previous novel, Housebroken. Thank you so much to Lake Union Publishing for the chance to review this book. Family Ship was very different but even more wonderful So many books I've read lately in the Women's Fiction category seem to deal with untold secrets, missing people, and romance at every age. This book is nothing like that. It is a novel that grabs you in the heart from the first chapter and doesn't release you until the final word.

It is about a large family and by large I mean 9 children. Amazingly enough, Yoerg makes each individual child just that, an individual that you don't confuse with the others. The parents, Maeve and Arthur and their kids live in an old house by the river way outside of a small town in Virginia. Maeve is pregnant with her 10th child.

When they bought the house, it came with an abandoned boat in the yard. Arthur, being retired Navy, turned the boat into The Ship and all the children had roles in the running (playing) of it. Arthur believed it would help teach discipline, cooperation and responsibility.

The Commanding Officer is Verity, the eldest girl. Each child holds an important office like cook or meteorologist. Jude, the oldest, has had a falling out with his father and does not live at home.. The family dynamics are affected by Maeve's illness and Arthur's difficult, somewhat paranoid personality.

I grew to care for these people and watched the development of their story which leads to a chilling episode during Hurricane Earl which hit inland Virginia in 1980 with disastrous results. I've never read a book quite like this. the concept of the ship is truly original. The novel asks and answers many questions about personality, mental illness, family relationships, love and hope. Kudos to Sonia Yoerg for producing this engrossing tale.

I am glad I picked this one up. In this heart-wrenching family drama set in 1980 Chesapeake Bay, family loyalty is prized above all else. The Vergennes family is a large one--nine kids in total. Shirking family duty is an unforgivable offense, as the eldest son, Jude, finds out. On the night the youngest child, Nellie, is born, the unthinkable happens. Jude has a friend over who brings two acquaintances. One of those “acquaintances” attempts to rape Jude’s oldest sister, Verity. Their father, a former Navy man and resident control freak, goes off on Jude and blames him for what happened. Unable to reconcile with his father, Jude strikes out on his own.

The glue that holds the family together is the HMS Nepenthe and its captain, Verity. On the oyster boat turned make-believe ship, the children are given respective roles. The ship essentially acts as a metaphor for the family itself. When everyone takes on their appropriate roles, it is a tight-running ship. When one of the crew members struggles, it is deeply felt:

“The ship, she realized, was a perfect metaphor for what her life had become. She was stranded with her siblings, drifting out to sea, the home they longed for forever out of reach.”

Verity often struggles with her identity after the attempted rape. She feels ugly in her own body, gains several pounds, and does not have many friends. She is expected to be a second mother to the children, but that role means she has to sacrifice much. She is a brilliant and highly gifted student who dreams of going to a four year university. She decides to apply behind her parents’ backs. Her father, inflexible as ever, takes personal offense to her decision to keep this a secret and is not supportive of Verity’s dreams.

Their mother, Maeve, is a stark contrast to their rigid father, providing nurturing to all the children. She is a quiet ally for the children at odds with their father (Verity and Jude). The family’s world is turned upside down when their mother becomes gravely ill. The children must use the skills they learned on the family ship to keep faith and family together. The premise of the family ship was intriguing, and I couldn’t put it down. If you are looking for an emotional family drama, this is a good one to pick up.

The following review was posted on my blog (blogginboutbooks.com) on 03.03.21:

"The ship, Verity realized, was their true church because they went there to show respect for order, for diligence, for their higher, more disciplined selves. Sure, it was made-up, but what difference did that make?" (quote from an uncorrected e-ARC of The Family Ship, 11%)

When Arthur and Maeve Vergennes bought their home on an isolated inlet of the Chesapeake Bay, an old oyster boat came with the property. They christened the grounded vessel Nepenthe. Over the years, Arthur has used it to teach his nine children some of the discipline he gained while serving with the Navy in Korea. Not only has it served as an elaborate playground for the kids, but through their many imaginary voyages they have formed themselves into a tight crew that values duty, dedication, and their father's family-first approach to life.

Unlike her 14-year-old sister, who's grown embarrassed by the childish doings on Nepenthe, 18-year-old Verity still spends a lot of her time entertaining her younger siblings by planning and executing daring escapades. Lately, though, she's feeling the weight of her responsibility. Unbeknownst to her parents, she's applied to an out-of-state school. She knows her father—who values family over everything else and intends for her to live at home while attending a local community college—will see it as a betrayal. Especially since Verity's older brother, Jude, has already abandoned them. Between Arthur's unwillingness to let her go and her mother's newest pregnancy, which is becoming increasingly worrisome, Verity feels trapped between duty to her family and her desire for a life of her own. When tragedy strikes, she starts to realize just how alone she and her siblings really are. Can they keep the family together when everything around them is falling apart? Can the teamwork that unites them on Nepenthe save them as things go hopelessly awry? If family love is supposed to cradle you in its protective arms, why does Verity feel like she's being suffocated by the very people who are supposed to love her most?

There's a lot to love about The Family Ship, the newest novel by Sonja Yoerg. The idea of an old ship as both playground and school is a fun one. The warm, large-family chaos described in the book rings true, especially for someone who's part of a big brood, like me. I definitely relate to Verity's plight. While Arthur's a complicated character, his dedication to his family makes him admirable, if not always understandable. His wife is unrealistically angelic (I mean, c'mon, no stay-at-home mom adores all of her children every second of every day) but still likable. While the kids all kind of blend together at times (which is true-to-life in a large clan), they have distinct personalities which make them feel like a believable bunch. Their story involves some tough subject matter, but overall it's a hopeful tale, something I always appreciate in a family saga.

My biggest problem with The Family Ship is that it drags on and on and on without really going anywhere. I kept checking how far I'd read and being shocked when my Kindle said only "30%" or "47%." Although the action picks up toward the end of the book, the story definitely drags and gets dull. So, even though I enjoyed being enveloped in the Vergennes' lively household, I still wanted their tale to be more dynamic and exciting. It's compelling, don't get me wrong. It just takes Yoerg a loooonnnggg time to tell it. In the end, then, I liked The Family Ship, but its wordiness and lack of plot made reading it more of a slog than it should have been. Bummer. I really wanted to love this one.

(Readalikes: Reminds me a little bit of The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah and If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch)

Grade: C+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13

for language (a few F-bombs, plus occasional milder expletives), violence, and disturbing subject matter (including a brief attempted rape scene)

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Family Ship from the generous folks at Lake Union Publishing via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced reader copy.
I LOVED this book! The novel follows the Vergennes family, two parents and their 9 children, who live out in the marshland of the Chesapeake Bay and have an old ship docked in their yard. Each character had their moment to shine in the novel. You instantly connect with each of their stories. Each twist and turn brought heartbreak and showed how the power of family can heal all wounds. My only critique was the end of Maeve’s story but otherwise this was a major 5 star novel. I am shocked more people are not talking about this and will do my best to circulate it to all reader’s I know. I look forward to reading many more from Sonja Yoerg!

I am such a huge fan of this author so this pains me, but I just could not get into this book. Initially, I was intrigued by the setting, the family, and especially the idea of the ship and all it symbolizes. But after starting this, putting it down, and picking back up again - I finally gave up at around 60%. I rarely DNF a book but this just moved too slow for me. The author's amazing character development and descriptions are present in this novel but I just couldn't invest in the story.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Family Ship was an excellent, unexpected, unique novel about a large family. I was amazed how the author delicately introduced each person in the family to the reader, even though there were so many souls in the family, in such a well developed manner and perspectives, holding different maturity and developmental phases in order to build the story as a whole, well rounded unit. The ship in the backyard, utilized to entertain the children, was very unusual, molding the children into a responsible and well oiled team. The love connections between the husband and wife, then the parents and children, as well as the kids' roles as secondary care takers was just fascinating. I really enjoyed and appreciated this wonderful book. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and Sonja Yoerg, the author for the e-reader for review. All opinions are my own.