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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607003076109 | Adult Fiction | CLEGG | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE AND THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
"Masterly." --The New York Times Book Review
"Daring." --NPR
Kirkus Reviews 's Best of 2015
Library Journal 's Top Ten Best Books of 2015
Booklist 's Top Ten First Novels
The stunning debut novel from bestselling author Bill Clegg is a magnificently powerful story about a circle of people who find solace in the least likely of places as they cope with a horrific tragedy.
On the eve of her daughter's wedding, June Reid's life is completely devastated when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughter's fiancé, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Luke--her entire family, all gone in a moment. And June is the only survivor.
Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake, a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak.
From the couple running a motel on the Pacific Ocean where June eventually settles into a quiet half-life, to the wedding's caterer whose bill has been forgotten, to Luke's mother, the shattered outcast of the town--everyone touched by the tragedy is changed as truths about their near and far histories finally come to light.
Elegant and heartrending, and one of the most accomplished fiction debuts of the year, Did You Ever Have a Family is an absorbing, unforgettable tale that reveals humanity at its best through forgiveness and hope. At its core is a celebration of family--the ones we are born with and the ones we create.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Noted literary agent Clegg opts for a relatively understated approach to the audio edition of his acclaimed debut novel, given the considerable dramatic weight of the material. The narrative, told from the point of view of a variety of characters, explores the aftermath of a horrific explosion at a small-town Connecticut home on the night before the divided-and somewhat scandalous-Reid family's wedding celebration. Clegg's reading style engages the listener without playing too heavily on larger-than-life emotions. He fixates on the domestic details, such as the teen boy Silas's obsession with his bong and backpack, and the cleaning rituals of a motel maid at the seaside inn where family matriarch June has fled to escape her grief. Clegg's voice displays a winsome youthful quality that seems a decade or two younger than his actual age, so the coming-of-age dynamics in the story line ring with particular clarity. He may not keep listeners on the edge of their seats, but Clegg certainly keeps his audience connected to the world he has created. A S&S/Scout hardcover. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
This stunning debut novel written and narrated by Clegg (Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man) starts off with a nearly indescribable tragedy. The night before June Reid's daughter's wedding, June's house erupts into a fiery ball, killing everyone inside-the bride and groom, June's ex-husband, and her much younger boyfriend. June is the only survivor. In the wake of the tragedy, everyone in the community reacts differently, from the kid who helped landscape for the wedding to the caterer who was never paid to the mother of June's boyfriend. Each character has a story to tell and no one copes with the loss in the same way. It's heart-wrenching, honest, and unflinching. A beautiful look at acceptance, forgiveness, and, most important, hope. Clegg's narration is magnificent. -VERDICT An unforgettable novel that will stick with listeners long after the last line. ["Readers may come to this debut novel because of agent/memoirist Clegg's reputation, but they'll stay for the stellar language and storytelling": LJ 7/15 review of the Scout: Gallery hc.]-Erin Cataldi, Johnson Cty. P.L., Franklin, IN © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.