Family & Other Calamities

A Novel

by Leslie Gray Streeter

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Pub Date Jun 01 2025 | Archive Date Jun 15 2025

Lake Union Publishing

General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction

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Description

A successful journalist returns to her hometown just as her biggest mistake becomes headline news in this vibrant, funny, and heartfelt novel about facing the past, and its secrets, head-on.

Entertainment journalist Dawn Roberts has a lot to work through: a widow’s grief, betrayals of family and friends, and scandals that almost tanked her reputation. Not that Dawn dwells on the past. Well, hardly. When she returns to Baltimore with her husband’s ashes, she can’t avoid it. In fact, she’s diving into decades of backstabbing and treachery for her first trip home in years.

She’s looking at you, Joe Perkins. Her former mentor, whose explosive exposé about big-city corruption is being turned into a slanderous movie, is also back in town. The villain of the piece? Dawn. The good news is that this could all be a chance to reset—heal family wounds, admit to her own mistakes, and maybe even reconnect with the one who got away. Oh, and get even with Joe any way she can.

With the surprising help of an up-and-coming journalist and a legendary R & B diva, Dawn will finally set the record straight. Returning home might just be the biggest story in Dawn’s life, a fresh start—and happy ending—she never expected.

A successful journalist returns to her hometown just as her biggest mistake becomes headline news in this vibrant, funny, and heartfelt novel about facing the past, and its secrets, head-on.

...

A Note From the Publisher

Leslie Gray Streeter is an award-winning journalist and columnist for the Baltimore Banner. She is the author of the memoir Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like “Journey” in the Title, the cohost of the podcast Fine Beats and Cheeses, and a frequent speaker on grief. She is also a slow runner, an amateur vegan cook, and a fan of Law & Order. Leslie lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with her son, Brooks. For more information, visit www.lesliegraystreeter.com.

Leslie Gray Streeter is an award-winning journalist and columnist for the Baltimore Banner. She is the author of the memoir Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally...

Advance Praise

“Family & Other Calamities is vintage Leslie Gray Streeter: hilariously funny, and with a powerful emotional punch. It’s a deep study in the gifts we get from the people we love the most, even when we don’t always like them.” —Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author of Housemoms

“Leslie Streeter’s dialogue is delightful. Even when the good times slam into bad times, her heroine holds on to her sense of humor and you won’t want to leave her side. As a bonus, this novel offers deep wisdom about being a journalist, so not only will you laugh—and be moved—but you will also learn how to be a better writer.” —Nell Scovell, author of Just the Funny Parts

“At the core of this story about the journey of grieving and healing is a story of family, friends, and failure that will resonate with anyone. It’s frank, messy, and wryly funny in turns.” —Mikki Kendall, New York Times bestselling author

“Family & Other Calamities delivers exactly what I want when I sit down to read a novel. It has genuinely memorable characters, a fresh voice that kept me reading, lines that made me laugh out loud, and scenes that brought me to tears.” —James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Family & Other Calamities is about love in many forms—family, friendship, and standing up for what is yours. Dawn Roberts is a funny and charming character you will want to root for. Streeter’s signature humor and charisma shine bright in this bighearted debut.” —Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author

“A compelling story of truth, justice, and the American way. Leslie Streeter understands both the news business and the heartbreak business.” —Josh Mankiewicz, correspondent for Dateline NBC

“A vividly imagined tale of family drama and workplace betrayal, filled with gallows humor and heart. With her snappy dialogue and impeccably flawed characters, Streeter proves she has her finger on the pulse of messy, heartbroken Gen Xers. You’ll binge Dawn’s story like it was your favorite show.” —Geraldine DeRuiter, James Beard Award–winning author and blogger