Friday, December 5, 2014

Hello From the Gillespies by Monica McInerney

Hello From the GillespiesHello From the Gillespies by Monica McInerney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful surprise! I'd put this author in the same category as Liane Moriarty. It has some similarities to What Alice Forgot but it is a much different book. A woman, married and living far from civilization, questions her choice to marry the Australian she met while traveling abroad. He's a good man but they don't communicate. Her children are absolutely delightful! The author writes the characters in such a way that they are not only very distinct but you may know people who resemble them. She has 29 year old twins whose decisions wreck their careers and they return home. A younger daughter has a hilarious case of learned helplessness. Then there is Ig. He's 10 and just like a 10 year old boy.

The book begins with the protagonist writing the Christmas letter but her first draft is an honest assessment of what is happening with each member of the family. It was never meant to be sent, she was just venting. Then she gets distracted and the story continues.

The book is one of my favorite this year. I loved it.