REVIEW: A Family Reunion by Patricia Scanlan

A Family Reunion written by Patricia Scanlan published by Simon & Schuster

Marie-Claire lives in Toronto and thinks she has the perfect life until she makes the shocking discovery that her boyfriend (and business partner) is cheating on her. Reeling, she travels home to Ireland, hoping the comfort of her family and a few familiar faces will ground her. She arrives just in time to celebrate her beloved great-aunt Reverend Mother Brigid’s retirement and eightieth birthday. It will be a long-awaited and touching reunion for three generations of her family, bringing her mother Keelin and grandmother Imelda—who have never quite gotten along—together as well. But then all hell breaks loose. Bitter, jealous Imelda makes a startling revelation at the party that forces them all to confront their pasts and face the truths that have shaped their lives. With four fierce, opinionated women in one family, will they ever be able to find common ground and move forward? This book was originally published last year under the title of The Liberation Of Brigid Dunn and to be honest, it completely passed me by, so I was overjoyed to learn that it was been republished under the new title of A Family Reunion. I started reading Patricia Scanlan books in my mid to late 20s, with Apartment 3B, City Girl, City Woman, City Lives and Promises Promises (I could go on!) and I have to say that every one of those books was captivating and I felt they were written for me, and this book is exactly the same. This is the story of three generations of Irish women who have all had to face difficult times within their country or their faith. The women are all strong characters in their own way, and some you will love, and jeez, some you will loathe but gradually you will come round. There is a lot of religious content in this book, and even though I was raised a catholic there was loads of stuff in there that I hadn’t heard of before, and I found myself googling trivia and places that are mentioned in the story – but don’t let the religious aspect put you off. Patricia actually tackles the things that have gone on in the church over the decades, and a lot of it isn’t pleasant reading, but it happened and it needs to be addressed which was done with great compassion. If you love Maeve Binchy, you will adore this book.