It’s Christmas and
a very special Christmas for the Birch Family. The oldest daughter,
Olivia, is coming home from an assignment in Monrovia, Liberia taking
care of victims of the highly contagious Haag Virus. Because of the
contagious nature of the virus, Olivia and her family must be
quarantined for seven days after she arrives.
As usual, they elect
to spend Christmas at Weyfield Hall, the old Manor House passed down
through Emma, the mother’s family. Each family member is dealing
with secrets: love, a fraught engagement, a cancer diagnosis and the
appearance of an illegitimate child. As the family members struggle
with their demons, they begin to come together as a supportive
family, gaining understanding of each other.
The novel starts
slowly with Olivia’s romance in Monrovia. At first I found the
characters not likable. They were all steeped in their own problems.
Andrew, the father, was rude; Emma, clingy; and the younger daughter,
Phoebe, totally self centered. However, as the week progressed they
began to come out of their isolated personas and become attuned to
eachother’s needs.
By the end of the
novel, I enjoyed the family’s interactions. I can’t say this is a
humorous book. The problems and interactions are rather sad than
amusing. However, the characters are well developed and the story
line has twists. If you enjoy family dramas, you may like this book.
I received this book
from Penguin Random House for the review.
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