Instructions for a Heatwave

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell, 289 pages

Robert and Gretta Riordan are your typical retired couple: Robert putters around the house quietly (but with a strict schedule, set from years working at a bank), while Gretta spouts off a running commentary of everything going through her head as she bakes soda bread and laments the fate of their three grown-up children, who have woefully strayed from their Catholic upbringing. Then, one day, in the midst of England's record-setting heatwave of 1976, Robert doesn't return from his morning trip to the newsstand. Gretta's inconsolable, and the three Riordan children return home to help find their father, each bringing along trunks of emotional baggage and a reticence to communicate.

This is a textbook example of a dysfunctional family. As odd as it may sound, I liked this book, but I hated it. I liked how well O'Farrell wrote, but I hated most of these characters (Aoife, the youngest daughter, was the least maddening to me, and so was my favorite). At several points in the book, I wanted to reach into the book, grab the Riordans by the back of the neck and force them to talk about the skeletons in their closets. I also wondered several times if their lack of communication would result in some catastrophe for Robert. That's not to say, however, that O'Farrell didn't write a wonderful story; she did. There is something to be said for writing characters so three-dimensional that they're able to be so infuriating in so short of a novel. O'Farrell also keeps the reader guessing when it comes to plot points and the true nature of everyone's secrets (because they've ALL got them).

So a gold star for O'Farrell. Good for those who like a good family fight and frustrating characters.