Told in a dual timeline between 1982 and 2002 it tells the story of a now adult woman learning the truth about her mother who was forced to relinquish all parental rights and control due to her lesbian relationship. It’s a statement about how society has changed and the effects of societal rules in the lgbtq community from not so many decades ago.

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I wish this was longer to dive deeper into the characters development and not have the abrupt ending.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a quick read with no emotional attachment but this book was supercharged with emotion and reality based scenarios.

I didn’t really know anything about this book when I was given an advanced copy so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It’s an emotional story about the consequences of an affair that I wasn’t aware were common at one time in history. This is very character driven and while most of the events are just ordinary family life, it also manages to be very poignant and compelling. I hope Claire Lynch continues writing because I would definitely pick up her books again.

A Family Matter is a heartfelt novel that explores the complexities of family relationships with honesty and warmth. The characters feel real, and Lynch does a great job portraying the mix of love, tension, and hidden secrets that often shape family dynamics. The story flows smoothly, and I appreciated the emotional depth without it feeling overly heavy. A few parts could have been a bit more developed, but overall, it’s a compelling read that provides both insight and comfort. Perfect for anyone interested in stories about family, forgiveness, and connection.

A very quick read that I enjoyed, but wish there was more! It was very reflective of the times dealing with women’s rights, homosexuality and divorce. It handled these topics with care and neutrality, providing just a story without opinions. Good read!

Gosh this was a devastatingly good book. Heron is dealing with the weight of a cancer diagnosis and having difficulty telling Maggie, his only daughter. Maggie is a married mother in her early 40s who still struggles with her mom’s abandonment of her when she was a toddler. But what really happened with Heron and Dawn is so completely horrifying, and the fact that Maggie doesn’t know the truth is even worse. I hate that the law in the UK could be used to facilitate hate and fear in this manner. This was another good Pride Month read and an excellent Read with Jenna pick. Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for my ARC.

A heart wrenching and heartwarming story of love, loss, intimacy, and injustice. “A Family Matter” is a fast pace story told through dual timelines and multiple POVs. For a relatively short read (240 pages), there is a lot packed into this story. This story beautifully highlights the characters’ internal conflicts and demonstrates the long-lasting effects of past injustices. I’m not usually one to highlight in a book, but this story had so many highlights worthy passages. Also, the Author’s Note is a MUST READ.

I am surprised this is a debut novel by Claire Lynch. I look forward to reading any future work by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes, you read a book and at the end you clutch it to your chest or become the heart eyes emoji. Other times, you close the cover, take a deep breath, and scream because it made you so mad. This is a book in the latter category. The immense tragedy of separating a family — for any reason, but in this case, for the "crime" of being queer — was treated with such care here. I appreciated the focus on all three family members' perspectives, and the lack of forgiveness granted to Heron while still treating him as a human, however flawed. Ultimately, this was a tough, yet hopeful and worthwhile read.

This is a quiet, introspective novel that gently explores decades of love, regret, and the secrets families keep. The dual timelines between Dawn and Heron provide emotional depth, and the themes of identity, aging, and legacy are meaningful. That said, the pace is slow and the emotional impact didn’t fully land for me. While thoughtful and tender in parts, it lacked the momentum or spark to make it truly memorable.

A story told in past and present alternating times is one of my favorite literary elements! A FAMILY MATTER both made my heart hurt and feel hopeful. I loved the writing, the complexity of the familial relationships, and especially the portrayal of the hardships and scrutiny members of the LGBTQ+ community have experienced. I loved the ending and thought it left the characters in a great, hopeful place. I do wish there were more closure with the father, maybe an apology? Although I do love a short story I felt like a hundred extra pages could’ve really added depth to the story.

This month's Read With Jenna pick is a beautiful and haunting character-driven debut that's short but packs a big punch. If you like family dramas, this dual timeline, multiple POV story is not to be missed.

Thanks to Scriber for the copy to review.

Maggie has been raised by her dad Heron since she was a tiny child. Now, he is sick and in going through his papers, she finds that he’s hidden a major secret from her. Told in two timelines forty years apart, Lynch connects what happened during Maggie’s childhood with her life now. To add any more details would involve spoilers. This is a thought provoking novel and would make a great book club selection. It illustrates how many social norms have evolved over the last fifty years. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

@scribnerbooks | #partner 𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 by Claire Lynch, this month’s @readwithjenna pick, tells the story of a family fractured by a long ago affair, seemingly forgotten, but also never far away. To tell her story, Lynch wisely used two different timelines, highlighting both critical periods in this small family’s lives. In 2022, only child Maggie learns her father, Heron, the man who single handedly raised her, is ill. Very ill. As his disease progresses, answers to questions Maggie has long held begin to have just a little light shone on them. Maggie’s not sure how much she wants to know. In 1982, when Maggie was very young, her mother, Dawn, had an affair. That choice changed the trajectory of all their lives. ⁣
⁣
With these two major events, the affair and the illness, the reader comes to know Heron, Dawn and Maggie well. The entire story is strongly driven by these three. We learn motivations, dedications, and regrets. We learn how 40 years can change both people and attitudes. We learn how fear can drive choices that leave holes in so many lives. ⁣
⁣
I found 𝘈 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 to be a really great story and a particularly impressive debut. On the shorter side at only 240 pages, it most often moved quickly, slowing just a bit towards the end. Lynch’s writing was spot on, beautifully capturing the essences of Heron, Dawn and Maggie, and the long-reaching effects of a little understood choice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

“The fluke of being born at a slightly different time, or in a slightly different place, all that might gift you or cost you.”

Ugh this book ripped my heart out and stomped on it in the best possible way. It is so hard to remember now that there was, in fact, a time when being gay cost you your children. And to read this book and watch the “machine” convince Heron that his daughter was in danger and smear Dawn until she had nothing left was just gut wrenching.

This book is on the shorter side at only 248 pages but boy does it pack a wallop. If you enjoy emotional reads, quick reads, or reads you can get emotionally invested in then grab this book today!

Thank you to Netgalley, Scribner Books, and the author for the complimentary ARC.

Loved this one - my favorite kind of book with complex family dynamics, layers of story and characters you grow to love. It made me sad to think about all the mothers that had to go through that not so long ago. Worth the read.

I thoroughly appreciated this insight into a life and circumstance that I had not encountered before. Claire Lynch skillfully developed all the main characters. However, when I reach the conclusion of a fictional work and discover an author's note indicating that the entire purpose of the book was to persuade me in a particular direction, I can’t help but feel a bit manipulated, which ultimately diminishes the overall experience. While I understand that many authors have intentions behind their work, when these are presented so overtly, it detracts from my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Lynch, and Scribner for the eARC. This was a deeply emotional and heavy read. I hadn’t fully realized the extent of the discrimination faced by families outside of the traditional heterosexual model when it comes to their children and navigating the system. We’ve come a long way, but this story is a stark reminder of how fragile that progress can be—and how easily it could be undone.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This was a beautifully written novel that is very character driven. It is the tender and touching story of a woman who finds out the true story of her life as told to her by her dying father.
It is the story of a love that must be secreted and with consequence which is the most tragic revelation. The novel is brief and powerful and very beautiful!

Family Matter by Claire Lynch (book cover is in image) is set in the UK, spanning over 40 years, covering the themes of family secrets, motherhood, illness, gender roles and inequality. In this short novel, a woman looses her daughter because she falls in love and has an affair with another woman in the 80's.

The fault in this book is that it is too short to allow for the proper attention to the themes it tries to address and provide enough room for character development. I really wish this was expanded to allow for the story to be properly told.

Thank you Scriber for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

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