This was a great book. Tragic, but real and not maudlin. It would be a good book club book. Recommended.

A fascinating look at how social constructs could affect peoples lives in the 980s UK

Dawn and Heron married young and are bringing up their daughter Maggie. One day, Dawn meets another young women and they form a strong friendship. Dawn realizes she needs more than what she has, although she is devoted to Maggie. Times are different then and Dawn is painted as an inadequate mother. She can not fight the legal system. Years later, Maggie is raising her own family and struggling with being a mother, spouse and individual. When the past catches up to the present, everyone must learn to adapt and change.

Really solid read! It was interesting to hear this story in a different cultural/historical setting and I appreciated the nuance that the author gave the characters. I just wish it had been longer! Very quick and enjoyable writing.

What happens when a love that should be accepted causes irreparable damage and loss? A Family Matter focuses on a time when same sex partnerships were considered depraved. As long kept secrets surface, heartache follows for all involved. And can that lost time ever be recovered? Lynch masterfully portrays characters whose intentions are earnest yet naive and misguided. The prose is powerful and the ending portrays a glimmer of hope and resolution. Loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an early read.

This is a nuanced and sophisticated novel examining family and social dynamics and how they do, or don’t, change over time. The author does a fantastic job of juggling multiple timelines. The ending, while not neatly wrapped up in a bow, seems true to life. Nicely paced and I liked the shorter length.
Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

"It was the way she changed the air as she moved through it." That line really stuck out for me. Maggie the daughter realizes overtime something is not quite right in regards to her mother and she wants to ask her father. Dawn, Maggie's mother has been out of her life for a very long time. Maggie's father, Dawn's husband Heron is reflecting on his life and the decisions he made. Were the decisions his to make and were they in the best interest of the child (Maggie).

This is a beautiful yet emotional read telling the story of family and how society/government can create a wedge while thinking they know what is best for the family. It also shows what life was like for queer people in the 80s and to some extent today as well. What an heart-wrenching rollercoaster as the reader follows one family over two time frames 1982 and 2022. I appreciated how each character had a voice which provided some introspection. Definitely a read that you should read slowly and savor.

I was impressed. There’s a restraint and a down-to-earthness about Lynch’s approach which seemed right and admirable, given what could have been a much more sensational treatment of the subject matter. And I was shocked too, that attitudes and practices that seemed more in keeping with the 1950s were still abroad closer to the end of the century.
So, although this is a low-key narration featuring determinedly ordinary characters, it traces a palpable tragedy, from several perspectives. And I particularly valued the ending and the reunion which dodged the easy and predictable in favor of something truer and more nuanced.
Well done.

This book follows multiple timelines- one takes place in the 80s and follows Dawn, a married woman with a child who starts to have feelings for another woman. The other follows Heron and Maggie, a son and daughter 30 years later who are dealing with several secrets between them.

What I liked:
I loved this books message about the mistreatment of gay (or just not straight) women back during this time period. I don’t want to give spoilers, but there is an afterword in this book that explains this more, and I greatly encourage everyone to read it. I think the author did a great job portraying the difficulty Dawn went through as she struggled with these feelings for another woman conflicting with her ability to maintain life as usual.

I also liked the themes in here that no one is really evil for what they did. People make mistakes- some bigger than others, but they do not necessarily deserve to be shut out for it.

What I didn’t like:
Everything felt too… removed and impersonal for me. I feel like this is definitely a book that SHOULD’VE made me cry, yet I did not really find myself caring much about any of the characters. Part of that may be that this is a very short book, so there isn’t a lot of time to really connect with anyone. Everyone just felt a bit… flat.

Overall, this is a very character driven book about these 3 people, and the complicated web between them. I would recommend it if you like slower moving family dramas, but not if you’re looking for a twisty-turny sort of book.

3 stars for an interesting yet flat family drama.

This is beautifully written. It is a book that really makes you feel. It makes you happy and then sad and then happy again. I loved the depth of the characters and their storyline was amazingly done.

This story is full of hope and heartache. It lifted me up and brought me down multiple times. The writing is superb. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Book clubs should read this together.

What a wonderful book! I really enjoyed the dual timelines and hearing from multiple perspectives. Quick, light writing but there was still a ton of depth to the storyline and characters. Highly recommend!

After receiving a cancer diagnosis, Heron must break the news to his middle-aged daughter, Maggie. Facing the mortality of the only parent she's ever known, questions about Maggie's long-absent mother, Dawn, begin to surface. As Dawn's narrative in 1982 runs in parallel to the present day drama, readers begin to understand the events that drove the family apart. A beautifully written, tender book that paints a moving portrait of a family shaped by love.