The House We Grew Up In
Books | Fiction / Women
3.9
(691)
Lisa Jewell
From the New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True and Then She Was Gone comes an unforgettable saga that follows the Bird family and how one tragedy ripples throughout their lives for years.Meet the picture-perfect Bird family: pragmatic Meg, dreamy Beth, and towheaded twins Rory and Rhys, one an adventurous troublemaker, the other his slighter, more sensitive counterpart. Their father is a sweet, gangly man, but it’s their beautiful, free-spirited mother Lorelei who spins at the center. In those early years, Lorelei tries to freeze time by filling their simple brick house with precious mementos. Easter egg foils are her favorite. Craft supplies, too. She hangs all of the children’s art, to her husband’s chagrin. Then one Easter weekend, a tragedy so devastating occurs that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear the family apart. Years pass and the children have become adults, while Lorelei has become the county’s worst hoarder. She has alienated her husband and children and has been living as a recluse. But then something happens that beckons the Bird family back to the house they grew up in—to finally understand the events of that long-ago Easter weekend and to unearth the many secrets hidden within the nooks and crannies of home.
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More Details:
Author
Lisa Jewell
Pages
400
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2014-08-12
ISBN
1476703019 9781476703015
Community ReviewsSee all
"Families can be complicated, starting with Mom the hoarder in this story. So much fallout and heartache in the course of the families’ intertwined (so intertwined!) relationships. Really good read.
(Actually, good listen! I did the audio book and the reader was excellent, bouncing between English, Irish and Australian accents seamlessly.)"
"Started off slow but, picks up after a few chapters. It’s emotional and thought provoking. I enjoyed it a lot. "
B S
Brandy Schluterman
"This book goes deep into character development. The reader gets to know each one really well and just slides through the chapters following each through their twists and turns."
J M
Julie McReynolds
"This was a different style of read from Lisa Jewell. I really liked the twists and turns of the characters. Heartbreaking but really quite reflective as well. A bit slow in the@beginning but really enjoyed it. "
K L
Karen Lamanna
"Great story! Gives great insight into mental illness and it’s affects on a family. "
R S
Rejoice Spivey
"http://anurseandabook.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-house-we-grew-up-in-by-lisa.html<br/><br/>Your family are the ties that bind, and in the case of this book, the ties that gag. The House We Grew Up In grabbed me from the first few chapters as it told the story of a family that started out picture perfect, living in a beautiful house. A hippy, earth mother, a quiet, loving father and four cute children searching for Easter eggs. Looks perfect from the outside.<br/><br/>However, after an unexpected tragedy hits them, you see how delicate the bonds that held this family together really were. <br/><br/>The story followed the disintegration of the family over the years, but it was told in such a pitch perfect voice, that you never felt like there were villians or angels. Just a group of imperfect people, bound together by blood, but maybe not meant to be in each other's lives.<br/><br/>I was given a free copy of this book by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I honestly loved this book, and will be watching for this author in the future.<br/><br/>"
M F
Marcee Feddersen
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