A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I think this is good for the reader who likes this type of thing. I thought it sounded fun, and I'm probably just miserable. But I wasn't super into it.

growth comprising most of the visually descriptive narrative. Everything was done to keep me in suspense and intrigued as I watched this all play out that included witty dialogue, some humor and an eclectic yet flawed cast of characters that had pivotal roles in how well this story was being told. With each chapter read, I became more immersed in what was going on and couldn’t wait for the final piece of the puzzle to be exposed. Overall, a nice read.

Did not like this book as much as I thought I would. Dawn's treatment of her family and close friends was jarring to read. the entire family is bonkers.

Quite slow-paced but has a lot of witty dialog. If you enjoy family drama, long grudges, and a touch of journalism and politics, I say go for it! The book does have a very satisfactory ending and utilises almost every side character well.

i didnt finish this book, so dont have much to say. i thought it was fine but i just didnt care enough to find out how it ends so i stopped reading it

This was an enjoyable, fast paced, refreshing read! I felt a connection to the characters and the overarching theme of family hit home for me. I was thoroughly entertained and couldn't put the book down!

This just wasn’t for me, I think. I can see, objectively, that Leslie is an immensely talented author, but something about the prose and style didn’t connect with me, so it took me quite some time to get through this book. I found the main character difficult to root for, but I got the sense I was supposed to be rooting for her. That said, if you’re a fan of books with family drama, political intrigue, and long-held grudges, consider picking up Family and Other Calamities.

An entertaining novel about secrets and setting the record straight. Baltimore setting. Feel like this one will be one to make the rounds on the new book shelf at libraries.

'Family and Other Calamities' had all the things I was expecting, but it did left me underwhelmed. In my head, i thought I'll find something here where I'll be amazed and could be excited about but this was a bland read. This was like oatmeal, good for your body but not thrilling. But, yes, i would recommend this book to people who have just started getting into reading because this was in fact very easy to read and normal paced book. I did have a problem with time jump but after a while you get a hang of it. The experience was normal and comfortable, so all in all 3 stars!

Thanks to net galley for the advanced copy of “family and other calamities” which is out on 1st of June.


Brutally honest this wasn’t a winner for me, the story line was good but I just couldn’t get behind the main characters actions. I enjoyed the flashback timelines along with the current. There was some good humour throughout.
I feel like the end came together way too fast for it to feel satisfying to me.
Overall not a bad book just wasn’t for me

**5-Star Review for *Family & Other Calamities* by Leslie Gray Streeter**

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Family & Other Calamities* by Leslie Gray Streeter is an absolute masterpiece of wit, heart, and vulnerability. This memoir blends humor and profound insight in a way that makes it impossible to put down. Streeter takes readers on a rollercoaster of emotions as she reflects on the complexities of family dynamics, the challenges of grief, and the resilience required to face life's most difficult moments.

What makes this memoir so special is Streeter’s brilliant writing style—sharp, witty, and refreshingly honest. Her ability to find humor in the most difficult situations had me laughing out loud one moment and wiping away tears the next. She doesn’t shy away from the messy, imperfect aspects of life, instead embracing them with authenticity and grace. Her voice is incredibly relatable, and I found myself feeling like I was having a conversation with a close friend.

The heart of the book is Streeter's relationship with her family, particularly her late mother, and her exploration of how family shapes who we are. She tackles the weight of loss with profound wisdom while still celebrating the joyous and absurd moments that life presents. It’s a beautiful reflection on love, grief, and healing.

The pacing of the book is perfect—each chapter flows seamlessly into the next, and the way Streeter intertwines her personal story with universal themes creates a narrative that resonates deeply. The book strikes the perfect balance between humor and poignancy, making it a truly unforgettable read.

*Family & Other Calamities* is a heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply moving memoir that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page. Leslie Gray Streeter’s writing is nothing short of brilliant, and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a beautifully raw and real exploration of family, loss, and the moments that shape us.

Family and Other Calamities dives into love, loss and messy family dynamics.
I loved the sharp and funny dialogues and the relatable characters. It was a good mix heartfelt moments and heartfelt moments. I feel like the beginning was a bit slow and the ending rushed but it was overall engaging.

The writing itself was fine. The chapters seemed pretty disjointed to me. There wasn't enough of a common thread throughout the book for me. The chapter titles did make me chuckle though.

3.5 stars!
Release Date: May 12
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

With humor, heart, and honesty, Family and Other Calamities explores family, grief, and personal growth. Dawn, a grieving widow and journalist, returns to her Baltimore hometown to bury her husband’s ashes, only to confront Joe, her former mentor who stole her big story decades ago (30 years to be exact). Now, he’s making a movie painting Dawn and her late husband as villains. Will Dawn finally fight for the truth?

The book shines with short chapters, throwback moments, and witty humor. Dawn’s struggles are relatable, even if her victim complex gets frustrating. Joe is infuriatingly well-written as the worst kind of character.

A quick, heartfelt read about messy families, lingering guilt, and finding closure.

“Family and Other Calamities” is a light-hearted story told primarily from Dawn’s POV. Dawn was a journalist working near Baltimore, her hometown, who escaped many years before to follow her boyfriend, Dale, whom she later marries, across the country. As the story opens, she is returning to Baltimore to bury her husband’s ashes with the rest of his family’s. At the same time, she has to confront Joe, her old mentor who became her nemesis as he stole a big story from her about corruption in Baltimore and later went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for that story. Now he’s making a movie about this story and has written Dawn and her husband as the lying villains. Will the truth about the story finally come to light after so many years?

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would since it’s not the type of book I usually read. It was very well written, as I would expect from someone who was a journalist. I found the dialogue humorous and realistic in its portrayal, particularly of family dynamics. Dawn’s internal conversations, which often contradicted the spoken dialogue, were witty and often made me laugh aloud. The main criticism is that there were a lot of coincidences with people showing up at just the right time that tied the whole story together in the end into a happily ever after package.

This book would make a great beach read. It’s easy to digest, but does not shy away from difficult topics, like death and facing your past. It also gives one hope about picking up the pieces after death and opening a new door. I would recommend to anyone who wants something to read that is light but has some substance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to review an eARC in exchange for my opinion. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I love Leslie Gray Streeter's commentary in The Baltimore Banner and was excited to read her latest novel, but it did not nearly live up to her columns. This book is her first foray into fiction, and it was obvious that it needed more editing or maybe just more time spent writing it.

The book is set in her hometown of Baltimore and she aggressively name-drops landmarks and over-describes neighborhoods. For a local reader, it seems overwrought and an attempt to force Baltimore to be more of a main character than it needs to be. I imagine that for readers unfamiliar with the city, it's just odd world-building. The story could take place in nearly any other major city in the country.

There are a lot of characters in both timelines in the book and that could also have been pared down. We don't get enough insight into Dawn's life in between the two timelines so it just seems like she's been messy her whole adulthood.

Overall this is a quick read and an interesting story. It just needs a bit of polishing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I wanted to like this book more than I did - the premise was interesting but ultimately I found I wasn't really on Dawn's side for most of the book as her choices and treatment of her family and closest friends were so wild. The flashbacks pulled me out of the story, making the pacing feel slow in some parts and way too fast in others. Side characters that would probably be interesting and make the story feel more engaging weren't fleshed out enough to make us care about them or their relationship to Dawn felt too tenuous to matter but then they turned out to be integral to the ending. I also didn't think the title matched the book I just read.

Overall, it was ok. I wish there was more there to grab on to because the concept was so captivating. The writing/pacing just didn't do it for me.

The title caught my attention, and I went in not knowing much about the plot. Honestly, I ended up really enjoying it.
The way it captured the chaos and meaning in family relationships was powerful.
It's a quick read, but it sticks with you, making you reflect on the connections that bind us.
My only gripe is that the ending felt a bit rushed.. I found myself wanting more closure but it still a strong read.
3.5/5

this book didn’t click for me. I never really got that interested in it or its characters, so I didn’t really enjoy reading it. everything came together pretty quickly in the end all of a sudden too. i’m just not really sure what the point was overall.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc! this wasn’t bad, it just didn’t hit the spot for me. out 5/13/25.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

Dawn is a 53 year old Black widowed journalist. Dawn's husband Dale has died of cancer and she returns to her hometown Baltimore to give the ashes to his brother Brent. While there she realises some unresolved career problems coming up again when her nemesis Joe Perkins, also Black, is on the same plane. A movie is planned detailing his Pulitzer prize winning exposé - but he stole the research from her and now makes her out to be the villain.

A complicated story ensues involving her sister Tonyah, an old admirer called Eddie, a diva with the name of Vivienne St Clair, and young journalist Bria. For me, there were too many flashbacks and it took too long to get the proof Dawn needed to take Joe down and then everything happened at once at the end.

The story is told in first person narrative which I'm not sure is the correct one here. I couldn't really get on with this novel, it was too American for me, and it took me forever to read this, which is never a good sign. I expected more of a light-hearted rom-com, instead I got rivalry and revenge for previous and current wrongdoings plus family conflicts, and it wasn't the story I wanted to read. If you enjoy complex family relationships and strong protagonists wanting to right a wrong, this may be for you.