The stunning new novel about the joys and heartbreaks of a family divided and reunited, by the bestselling author of the Richard & Judy selection Love, Iris
The Chamberlain family - Charlie and Daphne, and their children Laura, Scott and Nick - had fantastic summer holidays when they were young. But then, inevitably, the children grew up, and their own messy lives got in the way.
Since their mum died, it feels to them all as if their family just isn't that close any more. And Charlie fears his kids have all lost their direction.
For his eightieth birthday, all Charlie wants is to bring his family together again - and by some miracle, they've all said yes.
It's only ten days . . . how hard can it be?
The Chamberlain family - Charlie and Daphne, and their children Laura, Scott and Nick - had fantastic summer holidays when they were young. But then, inevitably, the children grew up, and their own messy lives got in the way.
Since their mum died, it feels to them all as if their family just isn't that close any more. And Charlie fears his kids have all lost their direction.
For his eightieth birthday, all Charlie wants is to bring his family together again - and by some miracle, they've all said yes.
It's only ten days . . . how hard can it be?
A novel all about the intricacies of family life and it was just a wonderfully emotional journey. Charlie is nearing his eightieth birthday, and what does he want? A family get together, a ten day holiday in a glorious countryside house.Since his wife and their mum died, its like everyone has gone their separate ways, some a little more lost than others and he wants to bring them all back together.
We then start to discover about each child, so Scott has an american wife Heather who has two teen daughters, Meredith and Hayley. A ready made family unit as such, and Charlie has not really had chance to spend with them and wants to welcome them all into the family fold. Laura is mother to Ethan and had a husband Alex, Ethan is going through some tough times, as is Laura and Charlie doesnt really know how to console her the way his wife would. Lastly, Nick - widowed with three young children and some days barely making it through as he tries to juggle work and keep a home running.
This ten days is a chance for a break for all of them. To reunite them and bring them back together. However, like any good family holiday, ten days together also brings alot of tension and drama. We discover more about the characters personalities and sometimes they clash, their beliefs and their feelings. What i loved most about this read was the real little day to day details of the families, the little bickers, the little joys and even when the big issues arose - i enjoyed seeing how they handled it.
Most of all though, Charlie was a delight, he just wanted to do right and was most happy with his family around him. I imagined him, a quietly spoken gentle soul - who had relied on his wife for a long time and now was trying to recreate what she would. I certainly found myself weeping for him in parts. In both a sad and a good way. I also enjoyed watching each family member as they developed and handled what life was throwing at them.
This was a delightful read, that really had family relationships at its heart. It was so in depth, honest and raw and i just found it exceptional. Each character had real depth and the relationships were all interwoven in only a family would be. A great read.
I was gifted a paperback copy for the blog tour, it has not impacted my review. You can get a copy here
Elizabeth Noble is the author of several previous Sunday Times bestsellers: The Reading Group, which reached Number One, The Friendship Test (formerly published as The Tenko Club), Alphabet Weekends, Things I Want My Daughters to Know, The Girl Next Door, The Way We Were, Between a Mother and her Child and Love, Iris. Her last two books were also Richard & Judy Book Club selections. The Family Holiday is her ninth novel. She lives in Surrey.
Follow Elizabeth on Facebook and Instagram: @elizabethnoblebooks
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