Description

‘Friendship, rivalry, infidelity and the love that binds them all together are unpacked in this ambitious, immersive and beautifully written story.’ RED

‘Every nuance of mothers and daughters and sister relationships is vividly explored. Beautifully written, it expertly weaves the past with the present, building the tension, so you have to turn the pages’ GEORGINA MOORE

‘Intriguing, gripping, moving – this deserves to be HUGE.’ MARIAN KEYES

From the Costa-shortlisted author of THE STRANDING

Mary has raised her daughters in this house. Watched them play and fight and grow up in this house. Today it is the house where she will get married.

The wedding celebrations have brought the fractured family together for the first time in years:
There is Phoebe and her husband Michael, children in tow.
The young and sensitive Rosie, with her new partner.
Irene, Mary’s ex-mother-in-law.
And Emma. There, despite all that has gone before.

Set over the course of an English summer’s day and punctuated with memories from the past forty years of love and betrayal, hope and joy, heartbreak and grief, this is the story of a family. Told by a chorus of characters, it is an exploration of the intimacies and transgressions that bring us to where we are, the changes that are brought about by time, and what, despite everything, stays the same.

Publisher Review

Friendship, rivalry, infidelity and the love that binds them all together are unpacked in this ambitious, immersive novel * Red Magazine * A hugely atmospheric, multi-layered family drama that sings with emotion * Good Housekeeping, *Book of the Month* * Taking place over a single summer's day and told by a tapestry of characters, here is a vivid, absorbing portrait of a fractured family who are drawn back together by a wedding. A domestic saga at its finest * inews * Lyrical, literary and luminous . . . buy it and treat yourself to writing at its finest -- Bethany Clift A smart yet tender page-turner. Kate Sawyer makes the reader feel as though they have a seat at the family table -- Erin Kelly A tender yet vivid novel in both form and voice, its threads as bright as the tapestry of life it depicts. I lived, laughed and ached for these characters throughout. A superb accomplishment -- Wiz Wharton Subtle, intelligent, and so deeply moving . . . people who just feel so achingly real. Extraordinary -- A. J. West Absorbing and unexpected. It took some turns that I really didn't see coming, but which nonetheless felt plausible and satisfying -- Rebecca Wait Perfection. Funny and powerful, deeply moving, hugely atmospheric -- Liz Hyder Every nuance of mothers and daughters and sister relationships is vividly explored. Beautifully written, it expertly weaves the past with the present, building the tension, so you have to turn the pages -- Georgina Moore Kate Sawyer is an extraordinary, original writer . . . An immersive and absorbing read - I could not put this book down -- Aliya Ali-Afzal Captures the ebb and flow of family dynamics in Chekhovian detail . . . makes you want to call out, "wait for me!" as the end approaches and the characters depart -- Susannah Wise Fans of The Stranding, rest assured - This Family is every bit as good and then some. An absolute treat from start to finish -- Natasha Calder The vibrant, complex members of This Family are still alive and well in my imagination, weeks after I finished reading it. The rich, precise prose drew me into their world and held me there from beginning to end -- Jo Browning Wroe A vivid, family saga, rich in character and detail -- Ericka Waller A masterfully composed, perfectly observed family chronicle that feels utterly real in its evocations of grief, anger and love -- Emma Hughes Brilliantly plotted, deftly written and oozing with sophisticated style . . . It's what everyone will be reading this summer -- Annie Garthwaite A compelling portrait of modern family politics . . . A must-read for anybody (everybody!) who's loved and despaired over their nearest and dearest. I loved it -- Aingeala Flannery This Family will reaffirm your faith in all the ways that love can be true -- Buki Papillon A sensitive, lyrical family saga . . . This will be a huge hit -- Rebecca Pert A gorgeous novel, peppered with the nostalgic joy and tension of one messy family -- Polly Crosby Demands to be experienced . . . A glorious, sweeping family saga from one of the most exciting novelists of recent times -- Jessica Moor The intimacy of a family with all its complications is a quietly devastating read. Loved it -- Julie Owen Moylan A beautiful novel, quiet and profound -- Karen Angelico