Welcome to Litsy!

A slow start as books that share so many character narratives are. After reading, wading, half way through, the story came together in a beautiful way. The way societies, families and the world is. It came together with a messy ending. The way life does.

Very good story

I chose this one based on #coverlove during a B&N sale.

Three siblings and their kids gather for the first Christmas after losing their mom.

At the beginning it was hard to keep all the characters straight, but once I did I felt part of this family. Complicated dynamics and interactions, regret, guilt, but also so much love even as each struggle with expressing it.

Not much happens in the first half, but hold on for the second. It‘s worth it.

Messy sibling drama ostensibly revolving around the inheritance of the mother‘s home, but of course that isn‘t ever really the issue. It was fine, but the resolution seemed nothing more than a convenient way to end the novel. Suddenly the family drama was just over, which doesn‘t seem to comport with reality.

Great characterization of the women though.

This was a great character study into siblings that dispels the idea that they are automatically best friends or even like each other out of the familial bonds. Each flawed character was written in a way that cracked their motivations, wants, and goals wide open to the reader. This is a character story and not a plot driven story. It is a story about people handling or mishandling a variety of situations and interactions.

#UnpopularOpinion For such a short novel this book felt repetitive and the cast of characters were not fully fleshed so I had difficulty distinguishing one from the other. Plus there was a side story that merged with the main plot for no real reason other than providing some urgency to the rather dull storyline. Just so-so for me. If you like family dramas or grown siblings behaving like spoiled brats then give this a try.

I think this was on the #ToB23 longlist - it‘s less than 5 hours and I‘m more than half way through. It‘s ok. Three adult siblings and their families gather together for their first Christmas after the death of their beloved mom, grandmother. As each sibling is dealing with grief and resentment the next few days are not going to be cheery & merry. #52Books23 #AboutAnInheritance

Three adult children come together with their families at Christmas after their mother dies, all with different ideas of what to do with her house. I enjoyed this exploration of family while listening to it, but I‘m honestly already starting to forget it. I do love the cover, though. Low pick for me. #toblonglist

I love a good family drama novel, especially ones featuring brothers and sisters. This is a highly character driven novel, focusing on the family and their struggles. I particularly liked the way the book was written. You were able to read the characters internal thoughts, but watch them immediately switch to the "brave face" when surrounded by their family.

The premise is familiar: 3 adult children discuss their inheritance after their mother passes away. They are all married with their own neurotic issues, but I love the realistic descriptions of the different ways people grieve & parent & connect. Each couple has their own struggles & frustrations with how life has turned out.

The descriptions of the bird artwork was a great fit for me since I‘ve fallen in love with bird watching at our new home.

A substantial Christmas-set audiobook to listen to while being Santa. 3 grown siblings are facing their first Christmas without their mother who‘s died without leaving a will. 2 brothers, their wives, and 1 sister and her husband disagree about what to do with their beloved mother‘s home in Florida. Taking place in the days leading up to Christmas, personalities chafe as they become involved with a local woman and her child.

This book poignantly captured the dynamics of family and adult siblings more than anything I‘ve read in awhile. I really enjoyed the threads of the story and how she wove them together. It felt authentic and not romanticized. I‘d like to have seen this one on the shortlist I think. #ToB2023

Did I offer to drop my daughter off for her show early so that I could sit at the bar and drink an Aperol spritz alone with this book before everyone else gets here? Yep. 🥸

I ❤️ this one! My kind of family drama. And set at Christmas. #seasonsreadings #tistheseason

I enjoyed this gently dysfunctional family story. I liked how it engaged with a number of social issues in direct and indirect ways. The characters and relationships kept me interested, and I loved the descriptions of food and holiday traditions (and would have appreciated even more of those!).

This one is a slow burn. Over half the book passes before the event that draws the family and the young mother together, but I liked Strong‘s well drawn characters.

A matriarch has died and three siblings, their spouses and children gather for the first Christmas after. Each couple has problems, some they‘re sharing and others they‘re hiding. When a young mom connected to the family has an emergency, they must put aside their problems to help.

It's the first Xmas since Helen has died. Her three grown children, their spouses, grandkids gather to celebrate and console each other but without Helen's calming presence, simmering resentments and tensions emerge. This is the family drama writ small, focusing on the kinds of slights and insecurities that challenge intimacy and understanding. No one is bad. Everyone is human. And when a crisis arises, they find their way together. I liked it.