A Family Affair by Robyn Carr – a Review

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Description:
Anna McNichol knows how to take charge. Raised by a single mother, she’s worked to ensure her three children have every advantage she didn’t. And while her marriage has its problems, she values commitment and believes in “till death do us part.” Now an empty nester, she’s at the peak of her career and ready to seize the opportunity to focus on her future.

But life can change in an instant, and when her husband dies suddenly, Anna’s carefully constructed world falls apart. The mysterious young woman at the memorial service confirms her husband had been keeping secrets, and Anna is determined to get to the truth.

For once, she doesn’t have the answers. Her kids are struggling with their grief, her mother’s health is in decline and Anna needs closure. Faced with one challenge after another, she finds support from an unexpected source. And as she puts her life back together, Anna realizes the McNichols may not be perfect but they’ll always be family, and family is forever.

Review:

A Family Affair by Robyn Carr is a wonderful family novel. Anna McNichol, our heroine, lives a successful life as a judge, with three grown up children on their own, and married to Chad, for over 30 years; with their relationship having problems.  The children, Jessie, Michael and Bess having their own issues, and when Chad dies suddenly in a rafting accident, things begin to fall apart, as the children find themselves struggling. At the funeral, Anna spots a young pregnant woman, and knowing that Chad had cheated on her years before, she wondered who this woman was.  In the reading of the will, Chad left Anna the 80%, and the children each got 10%, with another 4^th person also getting 10%; everyone is puzzled who the 4th person is.

Anna soon discovers some secrets that Chad had kept, besides his affair. She meets the girl who she saw at the funeral, and learns that he was her father from the affair years before.  The girl has a baby, and Anna realizes that she is the 4^th person given a share of Chad’s will.  Anna does not yet tell the children about their step sister, but Anna begins to care for the girl, her baby and her husband; in time Anna will tell their father’s secret.

Jessie was always the angry one, who was a doctor. Michael was the nicest one, but did not know how to handle his father’s death, and loses his girlfriend.  Bessie is somewhat autistic, and as long as she takes certain meds, she is fine. Anna will become closer to Joe, who was a family friend.   As the family struggles, and Anna gets sick, the whole family will bond to help their mother, forming a close-knit group, as well as learn the secrets & sins of their father. Each of the children will change, and learn to move beyond their struggles and find their own happiness.

A Family Affair was a wonderful story that covers grief, anger, secrets, forgiveness and moving forward in their lives. The story also covers many health issues, such as dementia (Anna’s mother), autism, death, adultery, sickness, just to name a few.  Anna was a fabulous heroine, and over time we got to love the whole family, and their significant others.  Very well done.  A Family Affair was so very well written by Robyn Carr.  I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher