There's nothing like family at the holidays. Especially if you're forced to spend a week together in a house, under quarantine.
For the first time in years, the entire Birch family will be under one roof, staying at Weyfield Hall, the family's aging country estate. However, it's not under the best circumstances, as daughter Olivia has returned home, because she has to; returning from treating an epidemic abroad, she's been told she must stay in quarantine for a week, along with her family. So, for seven days, the Birches will be together, locked down and forced into each other's personal space. For daughters Emma (newly engaged and excited about wedding planning) and Olivia (home from abroad, working with doctors in an epidemic and seriously missing one of her colleagues), it's awkward and even acrimonious at times. As patriarch Andrew sequesters himself in his study, he comes across an email from a young man claiming that Andrew is his long lost father --- and what better time to drop this news than at the holidays?
This is a good story about the dynamics between family members and how long-held tensions can finally rise from a smolder to a flame when put under duress. However, it's not all awful; with family, there are also alliances and support when you least expect it. While I found some of the storyline to be predictable, as well as some of the characters, I still enjoyed the read. I guess it's the voyeuristic side of myself -- kind of like looking at house windows and seeing people's Christmas trees, this kind of book is like a picture window into a family unlike my own, where I can observe (and yes, sometimes judge) at a safe distance.
No comments:
Post a Comment