I read this book in just two sessions, which is generally a good sign. It’s the story of the making of a family, its coming apart, and its patching itself back together, however imperfectly. Although at times I found the character a little too one-dimensional, there was something touching about everyone’s frailty and desire to do good by the others (if only we knew what is ‘good’). Especially towards the end, reading felt a little like watching a good American movie: emotionally manipulative, but soothing - I was wallowing in the drama.