I loved this novel. Rich, interesting characters in a mixed-family setting, as they sort through generations of memories kept hidden under the surface of everyday life. The protagonist Charlotte is especially intriguing, and I appreciated the ongoing revelations of her nuanced character. Also, what a fun relief to read a book titled The Children, and have it be about adults. Highly recommend.

Great idea and concept for a book. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended. .

This novel is set in Connecticut, where main character Charlotte, a somewhat reclusive 29 year lives with her mom in the giant house that belonged to her step-dad/mom’s husband who died several years ago - now owned by Charlotte’s step-brothers but with her mom allowed to still live there. One of those books that’s more about the characters than the plot, characters who are definitely quirky but not in a cutesy way, and a dysfunctional family novel as well. The writing of this book was fantastic and it was really quite mesmerizing in a quiet way. It reminded me a little perhaps of Ann Patchett’s writing - indeed, I think this book was an even better story of step-families and family houses than Ann Patchett’s most recent book, “The Dutch House.” And it pre-dates that book - I’ve had this book for years but only just got around to reading it, and I’m glad I finally did. 4.5 stars.

I LOVED this book!! I LOVE the writings of Ann Leary!! All of them! Her fiction, her memories from living abroad. In The Children she cracks open the stiff upper lip of dysfunction family members cling to while the patriarch is living politely in the home which has been left to other family members. Perfect read and when you are finished if you haven’t read The Good House you must pick that up straight away! (It’s one of my all time favorites)

Who hasn't experienced family drama, especially surrounding a wedding? While the plot was not groundbreaking, the characters made this book worth reading.

As I was unexpectedly swallowed whole by this book, I bean to wonder if I was in fact living an unknown secret life, and was now facing this secret existence of myself in the narrator. More likely the captivating and believable voice of the narrator came across as a best friend, someone who understood secret resentments and inadequacies like no one else could. Oh, hello family dynamics and disfunction! The chaos and hidden anger you harbor are all too familiar and relatable. All those unspoken bits about growing up as the product of a second marriage spilled forth from Charlotte, and I nodded along sympathetically and was caught up in her tale of life Before Laurel and After Laurel, and how a barely held together family was eventually splintered beyond all repair.

With an engaging style, and a first person POV (I do love an Unreliable Narrator), we work through the moments of change with memories dragged back from the past. The family’s quirkiness and unspoken secrets hook you from the start, and I could not read fast enough to understand all that is happening. By the time unspoken events are finally revealed, the action is headed down a hill at full speed and you know things cannot end well. It is a story both breathtaking and bittersweet, full of flawed characters and unconventional ways of existing and surviving trauma from the past, told in a most skillful voice. For all that this family tried to shine forth a rays of happiness and contentment, darkness and betrayal long buried are brought to the surface, but not by those you would expect. All in all, highly recommended book, and I look forward to exploring more from Ms. Leary.

I received an e-galley of this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review. The opinions expressed herein are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for their generosity in feeding my brain! :)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

Ann Leary is another new-to-me author. (So many books - and authors, so little time holds more truth than words can adequately express.) This was an easy read, easy in the sense of the story flowed - there weren't tedious moments and the pace was just right. In a way it was kind of a book about nothing, much like Seinfeld was a show about nothing, and yet I wanted to know what happened. I guess this proves that nothing can still be compelling.
Our narrator is Charlotte Maynard, the stepdaughter of Whit Whitman and one of two residents at the old family lake house. Her mother, Joan, is the other resident. Charlotte's sister, Sally, is a first chair violinist with the New York Orchestra and her stepbrothers, Perry and Spin, have their own lives. Everyone is living off of a trust of Whitman money in some way and Charlotte earns her income by pretending to be a Mom who hosts a very popular and well-read Mommy blog. Charlotte's never been married and doesn't have any kids. (Sidenote: this part of the storyline has now got me wondering if Leary based this part of Charlotte on truth, i.e. there are bloggers out there that are essentially living second lives - fake lives - through blogs.) Oh, there's also Everett - not a Whitman by blood but basically is by proxy. Everett has lived on the Whitman lakehouse property his whole life under the umbrella of being the caretaker's son and now the caretaker. That's it. That's what this book is about - the children and stepchildren of Whit Whitman. It focuses in on one summer season that Spin arrives with Laurel, his fiance that he's only known for a few months. Joan, Sally, Charlotte, and Everett go back and forth between loving Laurel and despising Laurel. They can't quite figure her out. And then, around July 4th, pieces start to fall into place and the picture that emerges is one that will change the children and their lives forever.

I had never read anything by Ann Leary before picking up The Children, although I do have a copy of The Good House waiting on my shelf. The synopsis of this book really spoke to me. I love dysfunctional families, it makes my family seem more normal - whatever normal may be!

The Children
By Ann Leary

I chose this book from NetGalley because I loved Leary’s previous book, The Good House. While these books do not share a setting (though I think both could be Connecticut), they share a certain penchant for an oddball cast of characters, not always likable but always interesting. This is no easy task — for the most part these people are seriously flawed, or at the least, in serious denial about some of the realities of their lives.

The beauty of The Children is that Leary offers up a family that at first seems low-key and light on drama, only to reveal a dark edge, and deeply felt animosities among the “loving” members of this sprawling family. In a place where everyone seems to know everyone else’s business, there is remarkably little they really share. I think Leary has a gift for this type of character-driven story, where the plot is not nearly as compelling as the motley crew propelling it forward. They carry with them all manner of secrets – some more obvious than others – but regardless of this you will want to stick around to see how it all works out in the sometimes-bitter end.

For Goodreads:

Why I picked it — Because I loved The Good House, and it sounded fun.
Reminded me of… Jonathan Tropper’s books, (but maybe a teeny bit darker than them)
For my full review — click here