Family Drama
A Novel
by Rebecca Fallon
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Pub Date Feb 03 2026 | Archive Date Mar 05 2026
Description
In New England, Susan Bliss is a young mother married to a professor.
In LA, Susan Byrne stars in a soap opera beloved coast to coast.
Decades after she’s gone, her twins have no idea of their mother’s fame. But the past can’t stay hidden forever.
It’s 1997, and snow is blanketing a New England beach. Two befuddled seven-year-olds watch as their mother’s body is tipped overboard a crumbling boat. A Viking funeral, followed by a raucous wake. A send-off fit for soap opera star: Susan Bliss.
Fifteen years earlier, Susan is a blazing, beautiful young woman, passionate about her art. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her, and so Alcott, a practical professor, does—hopelessly. And so begins the love story of Susan’s two-paneled life: an unconventional, jetlag-filled arrangement that takes her back and forth between her life in New England as a wife and mother to young twins to the bright lights of Los Angeles, where she becomes the beloved star of a daytime soap.
In the present, Susan’s twins grow up in the shadow of her all-consuming absence. Sebastian, a sensitive artist, cleaves to her memory, fascinated with the artifacts of her starry past. Viola, resentful of her mother’s torn allegiances, distances herself from the memories of her. But when Viola runs into her mother’s old costar Orson Grey—now a renowned Hollywood star—she finds herself falling deeply in love with him and begins to put together the pieces of a mother she never really knew.
Sharp, assured, and beautifully written, Family Drama is a story told in double-helix, with intertwined timelines that explore the different versions of ourselves we share with the world and with each other.
Advance Praise
"Family Drama is a magnificent debut. It has everything I love - gorgeous writing, complicated love affairs, a gripping storyline and so many pitch-perfect observations, I often had to read a sentence twice." —Clare Leslie Hall, New York Times bestselling author of Broken Country
"One of the most moving books I’ve read in a long time. I loved all of these characters - the complexities of life that stretch the bonds of family and marriage but ultimately are kept together with enduring love. It’s extraordinary when a debut novel is this good about family drama!" —Julie Slavinsky, Warwick’s
"Susan, an aspiring actor and Alcott, the more conservative professor are desperately in love. But how does that continue through time? Children? Careers? I cried for the lost childhoods, the struggle to find a middle ground. Please read this so we can talk." —Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Books
"Family Drama is a story of sibling love, loss, and the cost of following your dreams. With a keen sense of place, robust characters, and all the drama that the title promises, this novel is a must-add for book club calendars." —Mary Webber O’Malley, Skylark Books
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781668089477 |
| PRICE | $29.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 384 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Melanie R, Reviewer
Wow. This was a hell of a debut novel. "Family Drama" follows the lives of soap star Susie Byrne, her stoic husband Al, and their twins Viola and Sebastian. In it, we experience the way Susie and Al attempt to balance their marriage and individual dreams, navigate death and grief, and confront choices that leave significant ripples in the lives of their children and those around them. We follow Viola and Sebastian as their own grief and processing surrounding their mother's premature death causes conflict, motivates decisions, and deeply affects their own relationships.
Rebecca Fallon did an amazing job crafting dynamic, flawed, lovable characters. Past and present were woven beautifully without feeling trite or too on-the-nose. Her commentary on love, life, and legacy felt thought-provoking and impactful. I loved this one!
Natalie L, Reviewer
EXQUISITE!
This is a beautiful and compelling novel about all kinds of love. Centered around the twins, Sebastian and Viola who lose their beautiful mother. The book goes back and forth over a 15 year period. The brilliance of the writing allows the reader to remain totally engrossed from the first to the last page.
This examination of love is set within the family of the beautiful Susan and those who surround her. . Viola and Sebastian suffer being motherless and trying to understand Susan, their mother and a star. There is also an examination of friendship between Susan and her cherished friend and costar Orson. How does that relationship fit into Viola’s life?
How does a father deal with his children and his guilt?
I can’t wait to read this again and discuss it with my book clubs. This is an original, beautifully woven novel about family and love.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me the pleasure of reading and recommending this novel.
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