Member Review

The Walker Family is far from a very typical family, so I can only assume the title is meant to be funny. That being said, I loved this book! The Walkers are totally dysfunctional - the three siblings haven’t spoken to each other for fifteen years. There’s a reason for that: youngest sibling Natalie, called 911 on her brother and older sister when she was 17, with disastrous results. When their mother dies, her will stipulates that the three siblings will inherit their childhood home, a Victorian mansion in Santa Cruz, California, but only if all three get together physically at the house.

This book attracted me because my family has suffered a long-term estrangement and so I felt I could relate to at least that part of the story. I got more than a story about an estrangement, though. I got a lovely story about a still-young woman finally coming to terms with what she had done, why she wasn’t going anywhere in her career and why she kept picking the wrong kind of men to have a relationship with.

There is a love interest once Natalie gets to Santa Cruz that I thought was nice but unnecessary to the plot. Natalie’s sister Lynn is a tough cookie with a soft interior and her 13-year-old son Kit is a wonderful character. Natalie’s brother Jake - well, it took way too long for them to find him, as he apparently needed some alone time after their mother’s death. While some of Natalie’s decisions/actions were a bit childish or irresponsible (the way she traveled with her cat, for example), I really liked Natalie and sympathized with her situation. In addition, there are lots of funny moments throughout the book and I loved all the Santa Cruz atmosphere.

Note: the cover doesn’t do this story justice. The cover depicts three chairs and not much else.

Warning: death, estrangement, domestic abuse, gaslighting, drug abuse (past)

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark Early Reads for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.