Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc.

I really liked this book! I read most of it in a day. It was a pleasant surprise, even with beginning with a predictable "cliche" - bride betrayed by her sister on her wedding day - but then twists and curves into a very lovely story about family. The writing was engaging, and the characters are fleshed out and inviting. I loved the link to Ireland and discovering the Donohue family secrets. Recommended.

Absorbing, heartfelt, and tender!

The Favorite Daughter is a touching, hopeful novel that delves into the complicated relationship between members of a family and highlights that there really is no place like home.

The prose is evocative and warm. The characters are troubled, supportive, and genuine. And the plot is an affecting tale about life, love, family, friendship, deception, betrayal, heartbreak, community, romance, and the difficulties and struggles Alzheimer’s presents.

Overall, The Favorite Daughter is a compelling, satisfying, lovely tale by Callahan Henry that ultimately reminds us that sharing, capturing, and remembering all those special moments in time, good or bad, is truly what life is all about.

The Favorite Daughter is a book I will not soon forget.

This was a heartfelt, beautiful story of family , relationships, the ability to forgive , and all those ties that connect us together including our own memories.

This book tackles the difficult subject of the disease Alzheimer's and the author brilliantly crafts a story that as a reader I was reflecting on memories and what might happen if we lose them, and how that would feel.

The characters were not only complex and well fleshed out but also quite relatable.

This is a great read that I highly recommend.

Colleen and Hallie grew up as tight knit as sisters can be until Hallie betrays Colleen’s trust. Colleen leaves her family to reinvent herself as a travel writer. Called home by her brother Shane when their father is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the sisters have to find a way to cooperate in Gavin Donahue’s care. Secrets are unearthed and the challenge of a family coping with this horrible disease will be imprinted on your heart. Recommended.

Patti Callahan Henri is a truly gifted writer.

In this women’s fiction novel, Colleen is horribly betrayed on her wedding day in South Carolina. She runs away to New York City and, as a travel writer, more or less stays constantly running (as in, away from her feelings) for a decade until her brother calls her and tells her to come home since it appears her father has Alzheimer’s, and his health is declining rapidly.

The book is about memory, how it gets warped and how it can wound but also how it ties us to family and history. The characters are all likeable and believable. This is not fast-paced or heavy on plot, but it’s beautiful, and no matter what your family and romance story, you’ll relate.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley Books for allowing me an advance look at this book, which RELEASES JUNE 4, 2019.

I love a good true crime story or a dark and twisty thriller but I also love books like The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry. My favorite is when I am reading a good book and can’t wait to get back into it. I look forward to reading all day so when I finally sit with a good book, it’s one of the best feelings.

Ten years ago, Lena Donohue experienced a wedding-day betrayal so painful that she fled the small town of Watersend, South Carolina, and reinvented herself in New York City. Though now a freelance travel writer, the one place she rarely goes is home–until she learns of her dad’s failing health.

Returning to Watersend means seeing the sister she has avoided for a decade and the brother who runs the family’s Irish pub and has borne the burden of his sisters’ rift. While Alzheimer’s slowly steals their father’s memories, the siblings rush to preserve his life in stories and in photographs. As his secret past brings Lena’s own childhood into focus, it sends her on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

This kept me turning the pages, not because it was a thrilling mystery but because I cared about the characters and what was going to happen. Great writing, story, loved it.

Due out June 4, order here.

No one wants to admit that their parent(s) are getting older. Slowing down. Maybe even fighting an invisible battle. Maybe that means we are getting older. More likely, it means that we will feel like we are alone in the world and without the connection or support we can only get from our parents.

The author took on many family issues in this book. Health. Broken bonds. Betrayal. Secrets. Loss of family connections.

But she also wrote about healing and understanding. Forgiveness and the strength of the family unit. Something that is stronger than any other relationship, it seems.

This book was probably not a great one for me to read at this time. My Dad is aging quickly and parts of this story really hit me hard. I related to so much of this story. I see myself in Lena in so many ways. I understood her heartbreak and pain.

But, family is more important than the other problems and her connection with her father is super special. The why is foreshadowed and not a big surprise to me. However, it explains so much of the story too.

I love that Henry is able to understand the family connection so well as to be able to write a story that grabs you in the heart and doesn’t let you go until the very end. It is written with such deep emotion, she totally got to me over and over.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop at Water's End, Patti Callahan Henry offers THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER (Berkley). It's a lush, heart-wrenching novel about the power of memory, the meaning of family, and learning to forgive. 

Ten years ago, Lena Donohue experienced a wedding-day betrayal so painful that she fled the small town of Watersend, South Carolina, and reinvented herself in New York City. Though now a freelance travel writer, the one place she rarely goes is home--until she learns of her dad's failing health.

Returning to Watersend means seeing the sister she has avoided for a decade and the brother who runs the family's Irish pub and has borne the burden of his sisters' rift. While Alzheimer's slowly steals their father's memories, the siblings rush to preserve his life in stories and in photographs. As his secret past brings Lena's own childhood into focus, it sends her on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

Henry's novels always touch my heart. I'm able to relax with some lovely southern fiction and get to know characters I'd like to know in real life. I'd suggest pairing this up with a nice pinot noir.

The Favorite Daughter
By
Patty Callahan Henry

What it's all about...

This book is not a true mystery book but it is a book with secrets...secrets that are similar to mysteries. This book is about a warm hearted loving Irish family. The three siblings...Shane, Hallie and Colleen...are dealing with the sudden onset of Alzheimer’s in their father...Gavin. In prepping Gavin’s memory book for an upcoming birthday celebration gaps in Gavin’s story about his oldest child’s birth are discovered. Do they cover them up or tell the truth about Colleen’s birth? Colleen is the oldest and the one who has not spoken to her sister for nearly 10 years. That is yet another family secret.

My thoughts after reading this book...

I loved this family even with all of their faults and flaws. They live in South Carolina along the river and the river shapes them. Colleen is the writer and the child who seems to have the closest bond to Gavin. The family owns a pub and Gavin has always spent his time there...telling beautiful stories. But every day he loses more and more of his memories.

What I loved best...

I loved the beautiful writing in this book. I loved the way each chapter was introduced. I loved the story that this broken family had to tell.

What potential readers might want to know...

Readers who love family dramas will love this book.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my choice to read and review it.

I really thought this would be a 5-star for me. But I didn't really love either sister, so it made it difficult to enjoy or care about their story.

And I felt that Colleen needed to either get over her anger or work it out in therapy. I get the betrayal, but man...

Overall, an okay read.

I have loved every one of Patti Callahan Henry's books but I have to say that this just might be my favorite so far.

Lena Donohue comes home to help take care of her father who has Alzheimer's Disease. She has not seen her sister for ten years, not since she caught her kissing her fiance at the church on the day of her wedding. She has been in New York but her heart really lies in the lowcountry. As they prepare a birthday party for their father and get ready for what lies ahead in caregiving, all the past secrets and anger come out. There are secrets and the biggest one is yet to be discovered.

I love any book in the lowcountry, even though I have never been there. The descriptions in this book just made me want to go shrimping or sit outside in the evening. The community of Watersend, one we all know and love, is even more prominent in this story. The pub that the family owns is front and center.

I totally understood Lena's feelings about her sister. I had a harder time with her sister because , sure, you fell in love but doing something like this on the wedding day! And it seemed as if during the story, she really did not try to understand Lena's feelings. I do love redemption though. I was in tears at the end.

"Home is more than a place, it is a love story" I love that so much!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good family story about loss and the white lies told and secrets kept by a family. Damage is done, but there is healing in the conclusion.

I love reading southern fiction and Patti Callahan is a fantastic writer in this genre. She has been a favorite author since I read her first book. With her new book, she has become one of my Top 10 Authors...one of the few authors that I will pre-order their books without knowing anything about them.

Lena and Hallie are sisters - very close in age and each other's best friend. They live with their parents and brother Shane in a small town in South Carolina. When a terrible betrayal happens on her wedding day, Lena runs away from her home and tries to live a new life in NYC. She becomes a travel writer and travels all over the world, she has a small apartment and lots of friends and boyfriends but she hasn't been part of her family or spoken to her sister in over 10 years. When her father's illness makes it necessary for her to return home, she realizes that it will be difficult to be around her sister but that she has to endure it for the sake of their father. While Alzheimer's slowly steals their father's memories, the siblings rush to preserve his life in stories and in photographs. As the family tries to create a book of memories for their father, Lena realizes that it's time for her to look at some of her old memories to see if they are true or her perceptions.

This is a wonderful novel. I enjoyed all of the characters, especially the father and I felt their love and concern for each other throughout the book. I hated seeing the sisters estrangement and their problems in re-connecting with each other since there was so much pain on both sides. The other fantastic part of this novel were the settings of the SC Lowcountry and Ireland - which are two of my favorite places to visit. The locations are described so well that I felt like I had taken a mini-vacation to both places at the end of the book.

My prediction is that this is going to be one of the very popular books of the summer. I know that it will be in my top 10 list for 2019.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

.From the NYT bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry (one of my favorite authors) of the award-winning historical fiction: Becoming Mrs. Lewis — comes THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER. A beautifully written heartfelt story of the importance of memories, home, family and loyalty.

"May you never forget what is worth remembering, nor ever remember what is best forgotten." —Irish Proverb

From betrayal, loss, joy, forgiveness, dark hidden secrets, and love. A search for answers before it is too late. From Virginia to Ireland, from New York to the Low Country (Watersend, South Carolina)—two sisters, a brother, and a father with Alzheimer's and the power to preserve life in stories.

"Memory, once waked, will play the tyrant." —C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces.

Colleen (Lena) was getting married. However, something occurred that day and she ran. The wedding was to be held in the church and all the Donohues would be attending. Her younger sister, Hallie had helped plan the wedding. One single mistake that day changed the course of things to come for many years.

Then ten years later, Colleen Donohue was returning from NYC to the Lowcountry. Her brother, Shane, tells her their father is getting worse due to dementia and she needs to come home.
She and her sister are estranged.

"The problems with memories, Colleen Donohue often thoughts, wasn't with the ones she couldn't let go of, but with those that wouldn't let go of her."

Colleen was never the favorite daughter. She did not know why, but she always had the sense there were hidden secrets. Her sister Hallie is upset that her older sister abandoned the family.

However, there are secrets that slowly unravel. Colleen has managed to put the events of the past behind her until she comes to face to face with what drove her away.

The siblings come together to create a memory book for their dad. They want him to remember as much as he can before losing his memories to his battle with Alzheimer's. In the process, some of the hidden secrets from the past will surface.

Each chapter begins with a beautiful and thought-provoking quote. The master storyteller once again dazzles her readers with spellbinding prose and a powerful message of forgiveness.

A "must read" bittersweet novel of the strong bonds of family and defining "home" and what it truly means. When it is more than just a place.

"If you want to keep a memory pristine, you must not call upon it too often." —Sally Mann, Hold Still

Highly recommend! Move this gem to the top of your summer beach reads. Character-driven with lots of heart and an ideal choice for book clubs. (discussion guide included).

For fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey's Lies and Other Acts of Love

A special thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

Powerful book about forgiveness, family and Lena left her small hometown, Watersend after being betrayed on her wedding day and hasn't been back for ten years. Now she's returning at the request of her brother for her father's birthday. Alzheimer's is now destroying her father's memory, so they rush to get his stories down on paper. While hearing of these stories, Lena and her family realize that there may be a secret that her father has. Powerful book about forgiveness, family and dealing with Alzheimer’s.

Reading this story I felt as if I were actually at their home, in their town, part of the story. You can't help but feel sorry for the grown children in dealing with their father and his illness. While the father passes away the story does have a good feeling ending.

Lena Donohue is returning to Watersend, South Carolina, after leaving her husband at
alter ten years earlier. On the day of her wedding she found out that her sister and her husband were romantically involved and left home to pursue a career in New York City. When her brother calls her home because her father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s she feels she has no other choice but to help with the family crisis. It’s sad to read about how this disease robs people of their memories, especially since my mother is having the same issues at this time. However, I believe this is a wonderful story of forgiveness and how strong family bonds can be in difficult times. I wanted to read this book because I loved , The Bookshop at Water's End, written by this author.

THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER is a beautiful story that centers around Lena Donohue - when she experiences the betrayal of her sister Hallie on the wedding day. She runs away and avoids her family for a decade until she has to go back to her home city after finding out that her father has Alzheimer.

This book explores theme such as family, forgiveness, disease and love. With well-crafted storyline, I enjoyed the multiple layers and the depth of the plot. Also, the characters are complex and realistic - I found myself supporting Lena's thoughts and decisions - I could feel her heart break, stubbornness and behavior as a consequence of her life's experiences. On the other hand, I learned to understand and my perspective changed about Hallie and their father - the plot allowed me experience the feeling of forgiveness and care. Furthermore, I loved the mystery behind Lena and I thought that the author developed well the family's history.

The writing is utterly absorbing. Lastly, the ending was just on the point and touching. I could not put this novel down and I will read more by this author.

“All that had seemed real was illusion..” It’s been ten years since Colleen Donahue experienced the worst day of her life: On her wedding day a family betrayal sent her fleeing to New York City to reinvent herself. Only the devastating news of the dreaded “Alzheimer’s”word could bring her back to Watersend, South Carolina. Lena has become a well known travel journalist, but the place rarely on her travel itinerary is “home.”

Alzheimer’s or some stage of dementia has affected many families today. Each person affected and their families deal with this devastating disease in different ways. The Favorite Daughter highlights the siblings’ efforts to come together for their dad; needing to squash years of heartache and feelings of betrayal in order to preserve their precious dad’s memory-all the while finding breaks and twists in the family timeline that surprise them all.

This family’s journey is not as long as some I’ve known. Patti Callahan Henry has a way of entreating the reader to stop and think along the way and come to grips with “what if’s” in your own family. Sorting out family dramas can be difficult; finding your way “home” to love and forgiveness can be a life-long journey. I recommend that you put The Favorite Daughter on your reading itinerary and see where it takes you.

Your sister has betrayed you in the worst way possible, you go on and build yourself a new life, and then you are forced to return home and face the betrayer. You have to work together to deal with your father's dementia. As if that is not enough, there are more secrets from the past to deal with. The only way forward is forgiveness.