What a unique and powerful book! There was a lot packed into this short book. I would have liked to know more about the long stretch of time between the early 1980s and 2022 and why some of the issues weren't addressed during that time. I would have appreciated a longer book that filled in some of these gaps. I flew through the book and enjoyed it. It enlightened me about the extent of the bias against gay women in the 1980s in England. Given the current political climate, the historical parts of the book seemed like a cautionary tale to me. I think this would be a great choice for book discussion groups because of the ethical issues that could be discussed. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This book is only 240 pages so it's much shorter than the books I actually read. It's great for any reading challenges for under 300 pages.

The writing style is beautiful. I liked the Heron/Maggie story. I must confess I didn't realize Dawn was Maggie's mom who in the 1980s develops a relationship w Hazel. It took me a bit to figure that out. I don't think this book worked as well w the back & forth chapters. I would have preferred it in chronological order or with Maggie/Heron providing flashbacks of Dawn leaving the family for Hazel.

There's so many unique concepts such as "how much paperwork there is in living a life" or when Tom asks his grandpa Heron. "Do you have any advice for me? He looks across at the boy in the chair opposite...this boy who hasn't begun yet. He wants to say, you will be so many people in your lifetime that you'll look back one day & not even recognize some of the people you've been."

My biggest issue was despite a super close father/daughter relationship, Heron & Maggie didn't speak openly to one another.

I had enough at 60% (with only 50 mins left in the book) when Maggie says. "It's irritating, actually, not endearing. All this dredging up of their past lives. She knows he thinks it's practical, but it feels morbid, all the frantic sorting out before he, they run out of time....."

A Family Matter by Claire Lynch is a powerful and emotionally resonant novel that masterfully weaves together two timelines: one set in the 1980s, the other in the 2020s. It’s a deeply human story about love, identity, regret, and the painful complexities of family.

In the 1980s storyline, we follow Dawn, a young wife and mother navigating the confines life. Everything changes when she meets Hazel at a church jumble sale. Their connection is instant and intense, and Dawn quickly realizes that she is in love with Hazel. Despite being married and having a child, she begins a secret affair. Eventually, Dawn decides to tell her husband the truth. His reaction is cruel. He calls her "disgusting," takes her to court, and succeeds in convincing the legal system that Dawn is unfit to be a mother. The result is devastating: she is stripped of custody, punished simply for being true to herself.

In the 2020s, we meet Heron, Dawn’s ex-husband, now an elderly man recently diagnosed with cancer. He is a creature of habit, someone who insists on only grocery shopping on Thursdays. He struggles with the idea of telling his daughter, Maggie, that he is dying. Maggie, meanwhile, is dealing with a failing marriage, a rebellious child, and the creeping sense that there must be more to life than the routine she feels stuck in. Eventually, Maggie uncovers the truth about her mother and learns that Dawn didn’t abandon her after all.

Lynch has a gift for creating characters that feel incredibly real. Her observations of everyday life are sharp, intimate, and moving. I especially loved small details like Maggie snoozing her alarm while imagining a version of herself who actually gets up to do yoga. Or how she wonders why life can’t be about something simple like a new washer, because sometimes it is. Heron’s moment of vulnerability in the hospital, when he tears up over the kindness of the staff and says, “sympathy is hard to bear,” was particularly touching because I know that feeling.

This novel is more than just a family drama. It is a thoughtful, heartbreaking, and beautifully written exploration of love, loss, and the long shadows cast by the past. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. It’s the kind of story that stays with you long after the final page. Thank you Netgalley for recommending this.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dawn did what was expected of her by society. She married, had a child by 19 or 20, and was a housewife and mother to Maggie. And then Dawn met the love of her life, Hazel, when Maggie was three years old. To be with Hazel in the 1980s meant leaving Maggie and her then husband behind.

This is a well written domestic drama full of secrets, lies, and untold truths of a family broken by an affair many decades earlier. The characters are well developed and many societal constructs are analyzed. This is a shorter read that is engrossing and hard to put down!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster | Scribner for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful debut novel by Claire Lynch, this month's Read With Jenna Book Club pick. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

In 1982, Dawn is married to Heron and mother to young Maggie, when she met Hazel and her world lit up. Forty years later, Heron received news from his doctor that he knows he needs to share with Maggie, along with the other secret he's been keeping.

I loved the simple, powerful way this story was told and I was equally engaged in both timelines. The world was different in 1982, when the courts and public opinion were not favorable to lesbian mothers. This book explores the issues of motherhood, love and loss, and a hopeful look at moving forward from past trauma. The writing was sparse, beautiful, poignant, and really delves into these characters. I can't wait to read more from this author - a wonderful debut!

*Most anticipated book of 2025*
"Devastating consequences of one woman's affair."
Based on the 1980's custody battle's dialogue, the book portrays and carries the injustice and life-changing results of a woman's decision. In 1982, Dawn, a young mother with a beautiful daughter, Maggie, fell in love with a woman, Hazel. Her husband is devastated. Heron, gets custody of Maggie. Forty years later, he must tell his daughter the lies he created and the distance he placed between her mom and her.
When he receives a terminal diagnosis, he knows it is time to be honest with himself and her.
This book delivers an emotional story revealing the effects on an inevitable divorce. A custody battle that reflects the signs of time in the 80's when most mothers received custody, except in this situation. When no agreement can be reached, the judge settles it. With love and loss that can never be mended, this is heart wrenching and dives into the depth of these characters.
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced copy of A Family Matter.

Heron received news that he is dying and he has no idea how he is going to tell his daughter Maggie. That is not the only thing that he will have to reveal to her.

I liked the idea of this book but it was just way too short to get invested in the story. I was also not a huge fan of the writing style. I just wish it was executed better.

“A Family Matter” by Claire Lynch is a relatively short novel but packs a huge emotional punch. Set in two time lines—1982 and 2022, the story follows a family that falls apart because of infidelity and the impact it has on the young daughter. But this is not just an “ordinary” kind of invidelity—back in the UK in 1982, women had few rights and the court deemed Dawn to be an unfit mother, causing her to lose custody of her child. Maggie was brought up believing her mother had chosen to abandon her, to run off and start a new life. It isn’t until her father Heron learns he is dying of cancer that the truth of what had really happened comes to life.

This is a beautifully written, touching, heartbreaking story. Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC of this novel. My opinions are my own.

I’m going to be the odd person who didn’t care for this book. It just didn’t grab my attention and it felt a little depressing. I’m sure there’s an audience for it but it wasn’t me.

It's publication day!

3.75

1982: Maggie's mother Dawn meets Hazel, a woman who lights her up like no one else, including her husband Heron. I'm AGHAST at learning that homosexuality meant (view spoiler) in the 80's.

2022: Maggie begins to learn more about Heron and the beliefs she's had about her own childhood.

This was a quick, insightful read. Perhaps because of its brevity I later wished for more time with the characters.

Thank you to Scribner Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

What if what you're told is the right thing to do....

...isn't the right thing at all?

In 2022, Maggie is married, has a solid career and is raising two children. Her father Heron, who raised her as a single parent after her mother left them when Maggie was only three, is getting older. Where her own childhood was not typical of others', she is constantly working to create the family life for her own children that she herself did not have. Heron has two very big secrets which are going to rock Maggie's world. The first is that he has been diagnosed with cancer and even with treatment is going to die much sooner than she would expect (and he isn't quite sure how to break it to her, their relationship being less talk and more task-driven). But it is the second that will change all that she thought she knew about her life; its about her mother and why she left all those years ago.
In 1982, Dawn is a young wife and mother in a small British town. She and her husband lead an ordinary life, and their young daughter is the center of Dawn's world. Dawn isn't sure why she isn't happier than she is in her situation, its what she always assumed she wanted. When she meets Hazel, the funny and outspoken new teacher in town, the two quickly become friends. In Hazel Dawn sees a life that she herself never had the opportunity to live, and her own existence seems a quiet story not worth telling. The friendship also becomes a catalyst for the breakup of Dawn's marriage, and she will suffer ramifications that she would never have believed possible.
A heartbreaking novel of hope that persists in the wake of loss, A Family Matter is the story of Dawn whose love for another woman destroys not just her marriage but casts her in the role of a perverted, unfit mother in the eyes of the UK court system at that time; of Heron her husband who is influenced by a forceful mother and a legal system that leads him to believe that allowing his soon-to-be-ex-wife any form of custody of their daughter is tantamount to abuse; and Maggie, their daughter, who was led to believe that her mother didn't love her enough to stay in contact, not discovering for almost 40 years that losing Maggie was actually the very last thing her mother wanted. How would the lives of all of these people have been different had Maggie and Hazel's relationship not been viewed with such fear and disgust by the society in which they lived? In author Claire Lynch's restrained and nuanced treatment of this horrific situation, the prejudice of the time is shown to be wrong while the people caught within the parameters of the system are all victims in their own way. The characters are well-drawn, fully dimensional and flawed as we all are, and I felt empathy for each one as they found themselves in an unfolding situation for which they were woefully unprepared. Readers of Emma Donoghue, Maggie O'Farrell, Claire Leslie Hall and Kent Haruf should add this elegantly written tale to their must-read list, as should anyone in search of a story that deals with big, messy issues with gentle grace. My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner Books for allowing me access to this debut novel which captivated me from the very first pages.

Claire Lynch's debut A Family Matter is a tender yet heartbreaking novel that masterfully weaves together two timelines to explore the lasting impact of choices made decades apart. Set between 1982 and 2022, the story follows Dawn, a young mother whose life changes when she meets Hazel and discovers feelings that complicate her understanding of love and identity, and her former husband Heron, who faces a terminal diagnosis while grappling with long-buried family secrets. At the center of it all is their adult daughter Maggie, who must confront truths about her mother's absence that will reshape everything she thought she knew about her family.

What makes this novel so powerful is Lynch's restraint and emotional intelligence in handling such fraught territory. The dual timeline structure allows the past and present to illuminate each other beautifully, revealing how the prejudices and legal injustices of the 1980s continue to reverberate through generations. While the pacing occasionally feels uneven and some conversations feel rushed when you're craving deeper character development, the emotional core of the story is undeniably affecting. Lynch doesn't offer easy answers or tidy resolutions, instead creating space for readers to sit with difficult questions about sacrifice, silence, and the possibility of healing. The author's note about how 90% of lesbian mothers lost custody in 1980s UK divorce cases adds devastating context to an already powerful story.

This is a quiet, contemplative family drama that manages to feel both intimate and urgent—perfect for readers who appreciate nuanced storytelling that trusts them to engage with complex emotions and moral ambiguity. It's the kind of book that will stay with you long after you've finished, prompting deep reflection on family legacies, the weight of generational decisions, and the redemptive potential of truth.

Thank you Netgalley + Scribner for the ARC!

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on June 3rd, 2025. Links provided.

Set across two alternating timelines, A Family Matter traces the emotional ripples of choices made decades apart. In 1982, Dawn is a young mother navigating her new marriage when an encounter with Hazel changes the trajectory of her life. Their bond grows into something undeniable, complicating Dawn’s understanding of loyalty, love, and motherhood. Meanwhile, in 2022, Heron—Dawn’s former husband—faces a life-altering medical diagnosis. As he wrestles with the implications, he’s also forced to confront the long-buried truths he’s kept from his adult daughter, Maggie. The novel delicately weaves past and present, building a multi-generational story about love, regret, and the tangled threads of family legacy.

What struck me most about A Family Matter was how intimately it explores the private spaces between people—the things we hide, the bonds we protect, and the damage that silence can cause. The dual timeline structure worked beautifully, although I did find the pacing uneven at times. Certain chapters lingered longer than necessary, slowing the momentum just as I was fully immersed. That said, the emotional payoff was worth the wait.

Lynch’s portrayal of the characters — flawed, tender, and often torn — were authentic and emotional. I appreciated how the novel didn’t rely on easy answers or tidy conclusions. The relationships are complex, especially as the story peels back the layers of who Dawn and Heron once were, and how those past selves still echo in Maggie’s present. It's a debut with a lot of heart and emotional intelligence, and while not perfect in its execution, it left me reflecting deeply on the weight of generational decisions, what was considered “right” in different eras, and the possibility of reconciliation.

This is a thoughtful, slow-burning family drama that manages to feel both timeless and urgent. I’d recommend it to readers who appreciate stories that ask difficult questions and take the time to sit with them.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of A Family Matter in return for my honest review.

I like a character driven story and this definitely was one. Heron and Dawn are a young married couple with a small child, Maggie. When Dawn discovers something about herself, her and her daughters life changes forever. A really well written debut novel.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Thank you Scribner for this advance copy. I’m truly all over the place on my feelings for this book. First, I thought the writing was beautiful. I loved the way the author made such a quiet story feel so propulsive for the reader. It also brought up SO many discussion topics, which is one of my favorite things to find in my reading. I was shocked and horrified at how the court system treated these mothers in the 1980s & the author’s note at the end was amazingly informative. On the other hand, I didn’t love the ending and I wanted deeper character development. We didn’t get much of the discussion between Heron and Maggie or Dawn and Maggie. All the dialogue felt so rushed and skipped over, so that I didn’t get a sense of the characters as people. It was an overwhelming amount of heartbreak for such a tiny novel. Overall, it was clearly a powerful reading experience to bring up this much thought and emotion.

Can a book break my heart and unbreak in one book?? Yes! We follow 3 characters but set in two different timelines. We get the story of Dawn and Heron who were married and Maggie their daughter. Dawn married young and did the right thing, this all happened in the 80’s. Then she meets this woman Hazel, and she is just in awe of her and her freedom and her vibe, she doesn’t know what she is really feeling but she goes for it, but she is married with a baby. Then we go to the 2020’s, and Heron has a terminal cancer, doesn’t want to tell his daughter anything, but with everything going on with him and even Maggie and her own day to day, being a mom and everything, she decided that she finally wants to know what happened with Dawn. The parts that made me so sad about this book is the separation of a family the way it was done. How Dawn was unable to really and fully be and embrace her true self without sacrificing her relationship with her own daughter. The last few chapters were emotional for me lol.

This is the sad story of a family torn apart and secrets formed following a woman's discovery that she is a lesbian and wants to leave her marriage to be with another woman. The story is told in the third person and felt very disconnected from the action and the characters. Almost like an anonymous narrator in a classic movie. But, luckily I was still able to feel for the characters and the horrible situation they were in. I was also able to super cringe at the misinformation and discrimination against the gay community. In an afterword from the author, she confirms that the horrible comments and questions Dawn faces in the courtroom and legal system were not fiction, but actual things that had been said. I'd love to be thankful that we are in such a more enlightened time period, but that wouldn't be truthful, would it? And while the sexuality of Dawn plays a primary role in the plot, the story is truly about how we love each other and how we are forced to balance ourselves with the rest of the world's expectations. This was a great read!

Following the story of one family over multiple decades, this novel was heartbreaking but also showed the quiet moments of family. I picked it up based on good reviews and originally it reminded me a bit like A MAN CALLED OVE but it was quite different but equally beautiful. The writing is simple and easily digestible but filled with nuance. If you are looking for a book for Pride month I would highly recommend this one (but you know, read diverse books year round!)

Character driven short debut novel exploring the split of a young family in the UK in the early 1980s with the devastating impact of homophobia on mothers seeking custody in divorce. Told in a split timeline between 2022 and at the time of the marriage ending in 1982. Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced copy for an honest review.