Wonderful character driven family drama. I loved reading the story of the Vergennes family and the oyster ship in their yard.  I
5 stars

Oh how I loved this book!
A family struggle becomes so real as they depend upon a family ritual started very early in their history. It’s a family activity, really, but the little ones feel like it’s a game.

The story looks at the results of pride when it is allowed to grow unchecked. And it’s about love in a family and the difference love makes in the midst of a storm. 

I love how the author manages to vividly paint 8 different children, plus the parents, each with a unique personality and motivation. She shows how each person fits into the family dynamic while showing us how it makes them feel and also painting the big picture and how each individual adds to the whole. 

There is brilliance sprinkled all over this story, like glitter! A true delight. A story you cannot just walk away from: I kept wondering what would be next for these siblings and hoping all along that the disappointments in their past would not scar them for life. It’s been awhile since I read a book that got my heartbeat pumping as I worried for the characters and their outcome. 

Simply stunning.

THE FAMILY SHIP by Sonja Yoerg is a beautifully-written and heart-wrenching story of the strength of the bonds of family in the hardest of times. Set near the Chesapeake Bay in 1980, the tight-knit Vergennes family touched my heart and held me captive through every single page.  Arthur and Maeve have a very special love that has seen them through their share of hardships and loss. The couple and their nine children live isolated from the nearest town and each family member plays a distinct and cherished role in their daily routine. Arthur, a Navy veteran, has built a “ship” from an old oyster boat abandoned on their property. The children spend countless hours on the ship fulfilling their respective duties and responsibilities with military precision. With oldest brother Jude gone, eighteen-year-old Verity is the Captain of the ship and despite wanting more for her life, feels obligated to stay on. When tragedy strikes and the family is a risk of being torn apart both physically and emotionally, all the children, especially Verity, find a well of inner strength to weather the storm. This is such a unique story, full of every imaginable emotion. I enjoyed that the story was told from multiple points of view of the family members. Their voices felt so real and authentic. I loved this incredible family drama and highly recommend it. It will surely stay with me for a long time to come. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read an early copy.

The pecking order never changes. The ship always weathers the storm. There will be a brighter tomorrow.
This newest work by Sonja Yoerg was so bloody brilliant that I took a few days to gather my thoughts as I was left pondering the entire premise.
A young lady setting sail with her family as the crewman (all 9 of them) as they navigate the storms of life. The ship was meant to be a teaching vessel used not only for playtime but as Nike once noted 'Just Do It.'
This is a powerful story of going forth with blessings, hope, salvation, and forgiveness.
Loss is sadly a constant and we cannot stay frozen in our grief but rather celebrate life and what we have here before us on our bountiful table.
During this global pandemic I can't think of a better book that you need on your nightstand than this one.
I absolutely admire Sonja Yoerg's work and haven't missed anything she goes public with because she's a storyteller and a magician combining the too to create one fantastical performance.
These characters and family members are so in tune to one another that's hard to fathom what would happen if time didn't heal all wounds.
Jude is Verity's brother who plays a significant role alongside Verity (18yo) captain of the ship and perhaps her own ship in life too.
I fell in love with everything in this one as the family drama, the hardships, the abundant turmoil leaps off the page into your lap seeking empathy, compassion, loyalty, and praise.
Do yourself a favor and get a copy as soon as you can as this is a must read not only for those of us with kids, but for the maturity, the responsibility, the hierarchy, and promises that are both made and broken.
Verity may be headed off to college far away but she always will know her roots and the way home.
Enjoy!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book for an honest review.  You can read the summary of the book from the publisher -- but i have to say it doesn't do the story justice.  You really have to read it to get the feel for this story.  This started out slow for me and I wasn't sure where it was going.  But I have read other books by this author before and have enjoyed them so I kept going.  I didn't have to go very far before I was drawn into this story.  It is told from the point of view of at least 6 of the characters, all children except for the the mother.  I did find it interesting that the father is not one of the narrators.  It is the story of  a large family and covers interactions, relationships, fun, love, disagreements, tragedy ...and how all react to those.  The plot is very creative and the authors development of the characters is quite good.  You really feel you get to know all of them, for better or worse.  The father totally annoyed me -- but strong feelings are the sign that the author has done a good job developing a character I think.  And he has redeeming qualities in the end.  This is an easy book to read.  Highly recommend it - great for book clubs

“Family Ship” is the newest novel by Sonja Yoerg who is a master at writing character-driven tales with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.

The focus of this novel is on the Vergennes family and specifically its nine children who use an old oyster boat as a make-believe ship. To dad, Arthur, this ship is what teaches his children necessary life strategies such as teamwork and responsibility. Oldest daughter, Verity, is the caption of the ship, named the USS Nepenthe, and oversees her younger charges in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.

Flash forward to the present as the Vergennes family faces a range of adversities, not just from the outside, but also within the family as well.  

While the novel is told from the point of view of different family members, I did not find it too jarring. Ms. Yoerg has a superb mastery of her characters and their distinct voices. We get to know each family member, flaws and all. There is a lot going on plot-wise, but the author balances story with character; the result is an honest tale of family dynamics as its members break out from their originally delegated roles.  

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Speechless.......

You don't get to choose the family you are born into. You don't get to select the order of your birth or the very parents who slide into your being their own personal family traits. You are a walking cocktail of quirkiness from a constantly moving North Star that sometimes fails to beam you in the right direction.It's all a shake of the dice, Folks.

As I began turning pages in Sonja Yoerg's latest novel, I wasn't sure where the concept of a large family of nine children who took to role playing aboard a wooden boat landlocked in their backyard was going. It's also 1980 near Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Keeping track of all their names and their personality traits seemed a bit of heavy lifting. Where was Yoerg heading with all this?

But then the clouds slowly lifted and a remarkable story was unfolding. Yoerg doesn't leave you with a mob scene here.She has a gift for peeling back the layers of each of these characters as they step forward into the mix of life while revealing the painful bruises hidden within the human soul.

Arthur and Maeve Vergennes live with their brood isolated from the nearest town by a long winding road and a bridge to cross over. Maeve is in her seventh month of pregnancy in the early months of Summer. Arthur, a former Naval veteran of the Korean War, has trained his children into the responsibilities of daily routines aboard the boat. Each child relishes their distinct assignment aboard the vessel and play for hours on end. Verity, the oldest daughter, is eighteen and takes the role of Captain. Jude, twenty-two, has moved out on his own. Both Verity and Jude will hold key positions in this outstanding family saga.

The Family Ship will progressively take a giant leap from the Summer backyard activities of make-believe into the taut shoulders of reality. Several serious situations will befall this family in which their relationships and their coping mechanisms will be severely tested. Yoerg has a remarkable talent for getting deep inside her characters who display woefully flawed temperments slammed against the pitfalls of the backhand of life. Sometimes the weakest link must be fortified as the result of the others never letting go.

The Family Ship begins slowly as you get your sea legs. Keep your eye on interactions and relationships that start to unravel. There is truism here. (I am from a huge Irish family where my mother's sister had 14 children. You never allowed anyone to get lost in the shuffle.) You'll recognize a certain pecking order that exists in all families and who gets blamed for what. Search for this one when it comes out in February. It certainly is a worthy read.

I received a copy of The Family Ship through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to the talented Sonja Yoerg for the opportunity.

I am loving all these books about family dynamics.  Its so great to read a book that deals with characters rather than who loves who and what person is having romantic problems OR who killed who, whose stalking who etc. 
This was just a great story of family to get lost in.  Truly enjoyed it and I know its going to be a hit when it comes out.

#TheFamilyShip #NetGalley

Special thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for providing me with ARC.

DNF, i don't know why, but i not real loving it. I tried so hard to push myself to read it many times but i can't.

The Family Ship was a decent drama. It follows the Vergennes family, who live on an island with an abandoned boat in their yard. Their father, who is retired from the Navy, uses the boat to assign roles to the many children and instill responsibility and order. When a member of the family needs help, the Vergennes children have to figure out how to translate their ship roles to keep the family afloat. 
It was an interesting concept, and by the second half of the book, I really enjoyed it. But truthfully, if I had picked this book up from a shop or the library, I never would have made it to the halfway point. The beginning dragged terribly and I could not keep engaged with the plot. It didn’t help that at first, the book not only switches POVs between 5 or 6 characters, it also switches years. However I do have to say that the characters were unique and I did care what happened to them,  but a little too late in the story.

A good read of a large family dealing with many hard blows and how each handle it. A father who has a mind of his own, a loving mother bridging the gap and children of many ages taking care of each other.   A good display of love, loss, healing and acceptance. I wasn’t real big on the ship but do see how it played a good part in the lives of the kids. 
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

2.5, but... Sorry. NOPE. Don't understand the raves/high ratings.

The setting: "Chesapeake Bay, 1980. Eighteen-year-old Verity Vergennes is the captain of the USS Nepenthe, and her seven younger siblings are her crew. The ship...is the heart of the Vergennes family, a place both to play and to learn responsibility. But Verity’s had it with being tied to the ship and secretly applies to a distant college.... Maeve and Arthur Vergennes already suffered one loss when, five years earlier, their eldest son, Jude, stormed out and never returned. Now Maeve is pregnant again and something’s amiss." 

And so on,

For me, this book was depressing, flat, boring, and tortuous. [Can you tell I'm not a fan?!] And initally, I was confused because of the multiple children [9] introduced and couldn't keep them straight. That said, as the book progresses, most of them are fully developed so no longer a problem. Pounded over the head with sadness. I couldn't wait for it to end, I was never engaged. Hardships, disappointments, guilt, and unbearable grief. I think I smiled once and a description. 

Thankful, however, that the writing did not make me grimace although there were several "oy moments." No spoiler from me, but a neat and tidy--and hopeful ending.

I’ve read this author before and just loved it. This book is also amazing. The author has the ability to creat a specific atmosphere and evokes your own feelings as you relate to the family. It has family dysfunction at the same time there are incredible family bonds, loyalty and love. Highly recommend

Like an anchor tied to your ankle, Sonja Yoerg’s The Family Ship will tug you down into the turbulent waters of the Vergennes family, where you’ll come to care desperately for these wonderfully human characters. As I tore through the mesmerizing finale, a ripe and satisfying grin rose on my face and in my heart. What a superb accomplishment—a tightening noose of a story with delightful characters and vivid imagery. No doubt Yoerg is at the top of her game, and she’ll make you feel young again with this one.

#firstline PROLOGUE JUDE 1962 Jude’s earliest memory was of the day his sister was born, as becoming a big brother made his brain decide it needed to start keeping track for the long run.

This book was fantastic. It was extremely character driven and the story causes the reader to ache for the characters. Tragedy befalls a family and everything feels so uncertain for the Vergennes kids. This huge family is one you will not soon forget. You are brought back in time when life was simpler, but heartache and tragedy hit this family harder than they ever could have imagined. You will be whisked into the book and will find it hard to put down. There are so many special, unique and original storylines, which made it a delight to read. I could really see this book being made into a movie or miniseries. I will never forget the Vergennes family and I am so appreciative to Yoerg for writing this amazing story!!!

The Family Ship is an emotionally absorbing novel about the extraordinary Vergennes family. I did not merely read this book, I felt like I was living it. I was on that old boat with the crew of children, led by big sister Verity. I was sitting in their kitchen as they dealt with hardships, disappointments, grief, forgiveness, and hope. The family dynamics of this large family were fascinating, the roles of each family member changing and evolving as they faced unbearably hard challenges, accepting each other’s strengths and differences, and trying to create order out of chaos and turmoil. Hearing the story from multiple points of view added so much depth to the novel, especially when those points of view included the mother and several of the children. Each of their personalities shone through, bringing their own perspectives to a very unique book. I have no doubt that the Vergennes family will long live in my heart.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Powerful, heartbreaking, and wonderful written. That is the best way I can describe this book. To use this old oyster boat to become the symbol of the family dynamic was brilliant. I was invested in every character. Highly recommend.

This is the amazing family saga of a Arthur and Maeve, whose love for each other carries them through the storms of life-from the birth of 9 children; Jude all the way to baby Nellie. There really is a “ship” in the backyard- not sea-worthy- but an excellent setting for the family game of Navy; created by Father and Verity, to teach discipline and responsibility. This is a great metaphor for life and reveals many lessons to the “mates” on board and the readers. The story unfolds chapter by chapter-from both the parents’ and each child’s point of view, which is a wonderful way for readers to gain perspective on family events and personalities. So many human emotions are revealed: overwhelming joy and grief, pangs of sibling jealousy, love frozen in time by guilt, unjust hatred, the unearned love of little ones for older siblings, and on and on! Readers will remember the Vergennes family for many years to come. Follow orders: Be a good “mate” and read The Family Ship.

This was such a strange book to begin with. The whole ship make believe thing was different and interesting at the same time. Spending so much time on that ship actually helped shape their lives so much. I couldn’t help but feel sad and think the book was a bit depressing in the middle.
It took a hurricane to make everything better. I enjoyed the story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

This extraordinary novel touched my heart in so many ways. Written with, beautiful poetic style that captures the lives of Jude, Verity, Spider, Cyrus, Russ, Wallace, Eden, Harper and Nellie, and their parents Maeve and Aurthur in their own unique way of telling their stories. These nine children lived and played on a ship in a way that protected them and directed their lives. Their fierce love for one another, and their sacrifices were strong. I found myself many times as I read, tearing up, holding my breath, smiling or laughing out loud. This incredible book had love, loss, abuse, joy, healing strength and hope. I loved this book and Sonja Yoerg's style of writing in all of her books!
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