Another amazing book by this author. Every time I finish one of Sonja Yoerg’s books I say I liked it more than the last one and I’ve decided I just love them all but this one nearly broke me. It’s 1980 and the large Vergennes family lives on the Chesapeake Bay. When I say they have a large family I mean nine children! Since they live out of town and have no money for outside activities the children play together on an old ship abandoned in their yard. This is such an elaborate game and pastime that the kids even have uniforms and military ranks. Their father was in the Korean War and passed down his rules of responsibility and respect down to the children. After the oldest son Jude fails to watch his siblings and something terrible happens to his sister Verity there is a massive falling out with Jude and his father. Jude, now 17, ends up leaving the family for the next few years. After tragedy strikes the family again Jude returns and the family dynamic again shifts. Among all this we get the POV of the children which was so great to hear. Verity has struggled the last few years, now being the oldest, and too many responsibilities have been placed on her shoulders. This is an amazing story about family through hard times and good times. Ultimately when things look beyond repair can this family put itself back together. This book is so beautifully written. The children all had a unique personality and voice. If you love a family drama story be sure to read this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this fabulous book by Sonja Yoerg. 5 glowing stars!

in the 1980s, the Vergennes family of parents Arthur and Maeve and their 9 children, live in a rural area of Chesapeake Bay Virginia. An old oyster boat was on the property when they bought it, and the family turned it into an imaginary destroyer called the USS Nepenthe. Envisioned as both playhouse and a way to teach the children discipline and responsibility, each of the children had strict roles to play daily on the ship. The oldest, Jude, had gotten into a huge fight with his dad 5 years ago and had left the family to live with an uncle. Verity, the next oldest, yearned to go off to college and start her life without all the responsibility of her siblings. But life for all of them didn't turn out as planned.

I had never read anything by this author before and only requested this book because of an instagram recommendation. After the first couple of chapters, I wasn't sure exactly what I was reading but as it went on, I absolutely fell in love with this book and its characters. The story is told from different points of view of some of the children and their mom, so we get to see the family dynamics from other perspectives. This story will break your heart and then put it back together again with hope and love. This is a must read novel available now!

The Vergennes family, is quite large, nine children large, and this story takes place before the age of the internet stole our children away.

Their parents bought a remote home near an inlet of the Chesapeake Bay and upon its property was an old oyster ship. The children use this ship as a plaything whee their imaginations can soar and where discipline and rules apply. The story is told in the third person mostly by the two oldest children, Jude and Verity, and we learn how parental duties often fell onto the shoulders of the oldest children. Their ship, the USS Nepenthe, not only became their playhouse, it became their guide. It defined them and in it they could work and play, and become dependent on one another, all in their own backyard.

This was a fine story of family and was a great literary fiction event.
Thank you to Sonja Yoerg, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this wonderful tale.

This is not the type of book I normally read but I really liked it. A family saga of trials and tribulations where you really get to know each member and when it ends you feel like you have left some good friends behind. I will definitely read more books now from this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to be taken on this journey.

Arthur and Maeve own a house by the Chesapeake bay. When they purchased this home it came with a ship in the back yard. Instead of getting rid of it Arthur and Maeve kept it for their kids to play on. Verity is the captain of the family ship by default. Her older brother Jude has stormed off and left the family. This leaves a rift in the family. But, when tragedy strikes, Jude is the life saver. However, Arthur still has issues with Jude’s presence.

When I started this read I thought I would read a few pages and abandon it. But…holy cow! What a fantastic, heartwarming, heartbreaking, all the feels book this is! This book is about a family with 9 children…yep…NINE! I thought there is no way I will keep up with all these characters. But the author did such a great job. And every single one of these children captured my heart.

There is so much encompassed in this story. I had to put it down for a moment to breathe…but I couldn’t leave it down long…I had to find out what happened! Do not miss this one! You will be captivated from start to finish! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Set in the 80s, The Family Ship is the thoroughly engrossing story of the Vergenne's family. The father was a Navy man and when they move into a house with an oyster boat in the backyard he decides to make each child a crew member with their own job and responsibilities. I loved getting a glimpse into the unique dynamics of such a large family. The characters were beautifully developed and the plot kept me turning pages long past my bedtime.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel.. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This book is challenging to read, but if you give it time you will become embroiled in the Vergennes Family. Verity is the oldest daughter of many siblings and she feels that she has to remain to help the family. The eldest is Jude, but he left the nest five years ago after a dispute between father and son.

Verity has so much on her young shoulders and then a catastrophic tragedy has taken place and she wonders now how she will ever escape? Jude has a weight of if he would have handled things differently in the past would it be possible for life to have been altered?

This family is bogged down with what if’s and then to have a father who is a man of strict order that there seems to be no room for talking about a relationship or situation. It’s black or white and no gray.

The author does a fantastic job of delivering development of the children, but the overall experience with the book is too much of nothing and it should be more cohesive. I had to put it down and come back to it several times because I was losing interest. However, after about 15 chapters in the book perked up and flowed , but it was still a slow read.

The Family Ship is the first novel I've read from Sonja Yoerg, but it definitely won't be the last. I was quickly drawn into the story of the Vergennes family and was impressed with the author's ability to include the viewpoints of each of the nine children as well as their parents'. Coming from a very small family myself, it was fascinating to observe the dynamics of such a large family. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance copy to read and review.

I have enjoyed each of the previous five of Yoerg's books, but the sixth, The Family Ship, may be her greatest story yet. This is no fluffy, easy read - it has teeth that grab and do not let go until the very end. There were times when I found myself needing to stop and take a breath just to take in everything that was going on, but the breaks were never extensive, for I couldn't bear to be away from the Vergennes family for too long. It was all too easy to become enmeshed in their lives and I have no doubt I will be thinking about them and wondering where their lives have led for a long time to come.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In THE FAMILY SHIP, Sonja Yoerg takes us on a journey that is unexpected and in a way that is so unusual it really shouldn’t work. Seriously. But, in Yoerg’s hands, it not only works but succeeds on such an amazing level that you will remember it for years to come.
Yoerg takes us into the lives of the members of the Vergennes family in the 1980s. When Arthur and Maeve Vergennes needed a place to move their growing family, the house and land near the Chesapeake Bay, removed from town and accessed by a bridge, seemed perfect, with plenty of space for their kids to run and play. It even has an old oyster boat that Arthur initially plans to fix up and sell, but ultimately becomes a place for him to bond with the kids and teach them about responsibility, using his past in the Navy as a template for their “assignments.” With nine kids, it’s one way to keep things running smoothly and combat the chaos. The most responsibility naturally falls on the oldest kids (as happens in large families) and the oldest boy has been estranged for several years, with both him and his father to stubborn to talk to each other. This leaves Verity in charge, and she’s ready to give up her responsibilities, but isn’t sure how, with Jude gone and another baby coming. It’s only when Maeve’s latest pregnancy becomes a difficult that Jude comes home to help out and deal with the family dynamics that have changed since he left years before.
Family dynamics are key here, and Yoerg uses the multiple points of view to unravel and lay them out for the reader, helping us understand and navigate the different relationships within the family. It could be confusing with so many points of view, but Yoerg handles them easily and they fit perfectly into each segment of the story. The story is about the family, but it is Jude and Verity, the two oldest, that bear the brunt of the responsibility and the story. When tragedy strikes, in more ways than one, it is their strength and trust in each other and the family, that will get them through.
There are so many layers to this story and Yoerg has taken each aspect and woven it together into an unforgettable story that is, at its core, about family. In her masterful way, she has given us a realistic novel that will pull you in and keep you floating along, immersed in the lives of the Vergennes family, until it deposits you on the shore with a beautifully satisfying end.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheFamilyShip #SonjaYoerg #LakeUnionPublishing

The Family Ship is a deeply woven remarkable, unique family saga that explores a family in crisis when tragedy blindsides them. It’s a beautifully written story that pulls you into the heart of a family while exploring the dynamics of love, tragedy, grief, loyalty, healing, and hope.

The story is set in 1980’s when children needed to use their imaginations to entertain themselves, and the Vergennes family of nine children are a very imaginative, quirky close-knit bunch. They live on a small island property with a docked oyster boat they spend hours going on imaginary voyages. The ship is used to teach discipline and responsibility, with the oldest Verity as the ship captain and her siblings the crew.

The story is told through a few family members giving a well-rounded perspective of the family dynamics. The pace is slower to start as we get to know this large family, which helps keep them apart. I felt for each of the children and wanted to take care of them, and they tugged at my heart-strings in different directions with the emotional pull to the story.

For me, the center of the story was the father and son complicated dynamics between Arthur and estranged oldest son Jude, who comes back home when tragedy consumes the family. Sonja Yoerg has a way of emotional pulling you into the conflicts the family faces and at times I was shouting at them both and angry at Arthur with how controlling he was and how he treated Jude. Through their actions Sonja Yoerg shows us a deeper understanding of family relationships and I enjoyed the love, and hope that shined through the story.

“I used to think hope was something you had because you didn’t have what you really wanted.”
“hope is more important than what you actually have in your hand. You can lose what you have, but there’s always more to hope for” ~Verity

I loved this unusual hopeful story that shows how grief can break us apart and bring us together. It’s a thoughtful, insightful and unforgettable story. I highly recommend it.

Writing a review for The Family Ship is not going to be easy. I loved the book so much that I want to share everything, but I do not want to include any spoilers.

A family with 9 siblings lives in a house with a ship in their backyard. It has become the children’s playground, their safe place, their place to escape to. Each child has their own title and job to do during their adventures on the ship and they work together just as a crew would.

Their parents have given them love, support, and toughness while requiring them all to participate in the family and the day-to-day life of keeping a house and family going. Arthur, the father, is a Korean War Vet who runs his household like a drill sergeant. The mother, Maeve, tends to be more loving and a buffer between Arthur and the kids.

Verity and Jude, the oldest children, are forced to take on more responsibilities when their mother becomes sick, they step up to run the house and take care of their siblings. As the burdens continue to come to the family things get extremely tough and Verity and Jude do all they can to keep things as much the same as possible. All the children show their strength and unselfishness as their world spirals out of their control.

The Family Ship is a developing story. With each chapter, I learned more about the characters, their history, and what their futures would hold. It is a story of a family coming together and being there for each other.

The Vergennes family is unique. Not just because they live on an island and not just because they have nine children, but because they have a ship (in reality an oyster boat) on their property that they operate like a naval ship. In the summer of 1980, mother Maeve is pregnant with their tenth child, and Verity is eager to go away to college, but not the local community college as her parents would prefer.

When tragedy strikes, the eldest child, Jude, returns home, forcing the family to confront the events of a May night five years earlier. And as Arthur Vergennes seems to descend into madness, Jude and Verity are forced into caretaker roles.

What could have been an overwhelmingly sad story manages to imbue hope. Verity's and Jude's stories will stay with the reader long after the book is over. #TheFamilyShip #NetGalley

The Family Ship takes place in the 1980's and revolves around the Vergennes family. It is a family filled with 9 children and one more on the way. They live in the outskirts of their small-town in Virginia and have an old broken down oyster boat in their backyard. The kids seek refuge on that ship and also a bit of order. It almost becomes another character in the story.

When the current pregnancy starts to cause problems, all the children have to come together to keep functioning. Even the eldest, who has been estranged from his family for years and is not on good terms with his father.

This book deals with a lot. It pulls at your emotions like no other and I find it hard to believe that you could read this book and not become invested in this family. Don't miss this one; it is a gem for those that love family dramas.

Heartbreaking, enthralling, and beautiful! Sonja Yoerg brings us a story of The Vergennes Family, along with a grounded backyard ship named the USS Nepenthe-Chesapeake Bay, 1980. A poignant and masterfully written story of drama, tragedy, and hopefulness. An unexpected and beautiful story. I loved it.

Loved this book! I loved everything about it. The Vergennes family will stay with me for a long time. I thought this was a very relatable story. I say that because one of my husband's brothers and his wife had six children and those kids' imaginations was something else. They created stories and adventures in their backyard so I could totally picture them as this family. Of course, they didn't have a big boat in their yard but they probably could have imagined one being there. These characters were all pretty special in their own way, the children learning certain responsibilities at a young age and looking out for each other. Being on that "ship" and imagining they are a crew out at sea showed them how to work together and deal with issues in real life. I felt for Verity (the second child and oldest daughter) so much as I went through a similar experience as she did regarding the college issue and her parents' wishes. My heart ached for her and I really wanted her to make that important decision for HER. There are so many emotions in this book, it made me smile, it made me cry, and it had me at the edge of my seat during a pretty intense part. This was a beautiful story of family, love, forgiveness, and coming together again after a heartbreaking tragedy. Sonja Yoerg's storytelling just keeps getting better and better. I 100% recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

“Family is not an important thing, it is Everything!”

The Family Ship! What can I say more? The title says it all!

A lovely and beautifully written story about family and its importance in each of our lives through the lives of the Vergennes. Narrated across the versions of each of the nine Vergennes children and their mother Maeve, it covers the entire journey of this family.

The ship—an oyster boat transformed into a make-believe destroyer, USS Nepenthe —is the heart of the Vergennes family, a place both to play and to learn responsibility. Each of the children have their own dreams, thoughts and struggles. But when tragedy and disaster strike the family, they come together, fight, struggle and face all the hardships as one family. And most importantly discover the value and love for each other.

An amazing and touching read!

Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC!

In short, this is why I read.

I loved Sonja Yoerg’s novel The Family Ship so much that I’m going to resist the urge to crack jokes or use any boat-related puns. (I know. Wish me luck.)

First of all, this is literary fiction all the way. The concept of nine children being the crew of a ship may imply elements of fantasy or magical realism, but the boat is a vehicle for their imaginations… not those of the readers.

It's 1980 - a time when screens and other electronic devices didn’t dominate free time. The Vergennes family lives in a remote area of Chesapeake Bay Virginia, and when their parents bought their house the backyard happened to come with an old oyster boat, the USS Nepenthe. “They couldn’t afford, either in time or money, sports and activities for so many children, not living where they did. In a way, the USS Nepenthe defined them. The ship was more than an elaborate playhouse; it was a place where their children could play and learn and work together, right in their backyard."

As someone who grew up with only one sibling, it was eye-opening to spend time in the midst of such a large family. The pressure the older kids face to take on pseudo-parenting roles is so heavy, you cannot help but feel for them. At alternating moments, it’s a burden or a blessing.

While we primarily get the perspectives of the two eldest children, Jude and Verity, we see life through the eyes of a few younger ones as well. Each chapter shows how a character is interpreting events, all in third person narration. Many of these events are heartbreaking.

When I wasn’t reading The Family Ship, I was thinking about it. I’d wake up in the morning planning out when I could sneak in another chapter. I deeply cared about the Vergennes family, and I was sad to see their story end. My only solace is I still have Yoerg’s previous five novels to read.

My sincere appreciation goes to the author and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy for review. The Family Ship’s publication date is this Tuesday, February 23rd.

I loved this book! It is a lovely story of family, grief and ultimately hope. It focuses on the importance of family. I l loved the characters, as it is narrated by several of the family members, including some younger children. It was just beautiful and I gave it a hug at the end. I will be thinking about these characters for a long time. While this book has hard things, the end is so hopeful. It is just the balm I needed right now.

Know in advance that this is suffused with sadness. Arthur and Maeve have nine children with another on the way and an old oyster boat (the ship) in the front yard. This is largely told through the children's voices (most often Verity, the oldest girl) each of whom has a role on the ship. It's an odd thing, honestly, but the ship is the one thing that ties the family together. Jude, the oldest, has left home and Verity is thinking about it. She's less interest in college for knowledge than she is In getting away from serving as the babysitter for all her siblings and the new baby. There's a problem in the offing though and well, this gets downright depressing. Yoerg is a good storyteller but this isn't one I'd choose for a dark day. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.