Blog Tour: A Family Reunion by Patricia Scanlan

SYNOPSIS

When four feisty women from the same family, get together for a family reunion, anything can happen...

Marie-Claire, betrayed by her partner Marc plans her revenge to teach him a lesson he will never forget. She travels from Toronto, home to Ireland, to the house of the Four Winds, for her great aunt Reverend Mother Brigid's eightieth birthday celebrations. It will be a long-awaited reunion for three generations of family, bringing together her mother, Keelin and grandmother, Imelda - who never quite got along. And then all hell breaks loose.

Bitter, jealous Imelda makes a shocking revelation that forces them all to confront their pasts, admit mistakes, and face the truths that have shaped their lives. With four fierce, opinionated women in one family, will they ever be able to forgive the past and share a future?

And what of Marc?

It's never too late to make amends...or is it?

REVIEW

The interesting thing about this story is how it is not only about how a family has not seen each other in a while but rather the circumstances that make them the people that they are today and how this has affected their relationships. However, even though there is a lot of anger pent up in these characters, it becomes more clear that their reasoning is not always black and white, but rather multicolour with varying valid reasons why they have come to think in a particular way. In fact, it is fascinating to see the ingredients that have been able to create such a huge family drama.

Personally, I haven't had much excitement by the concept of Christianity, of course, except for the writings which I have always find to be fascinating in their own way. But somehow Scanlan has weaved in this incredible and riveting story of what it means for some people to practice and enter that kind of faith. It explores more than the morality of what we should and shouldn't do with our lives, but the types of lives we were all born into and how this would affect all our futures, whether we like it or not.

It is terribly tragic, yet inspiring how religion in some ways can make or break someone's life and how they might deal with the aftermath of all of it. But also, throughout all of the hardships that come with being a woman, there is still something that always is the pillar to our happiness, our families.

Even though this is a family who clearly seems to be fighting, the main aspect of it is the journey that they all take, whether it be about self-reflection, discovery or forgiveness. In general, this book is a satisfying read and one that I did take my time to savour for once. I cannot recommend it enough.

RATING: ***** (FIVE STARS)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR