I adored Jennifer E. Smith’s young adult books Field Notes on Love and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, so I snatched up her adult novel, The Unsinkable Greta James, a few years back. It did not disappoint (except that of course since it’s for adults, the author then, like most others switching from YA to adult fiction, felt free/compelled? to add in strong profanity). So when I saw there was a new one coming out, I snagged it too.
Fun for the Whole Family chronicles the relationships among four siblings, the Endicotts. Gemma, the oldest, essentially served as a second mother to the younger ones and at 43 is still deciding if she actually wants to have a baby of her own with her husband of 10 years. Connor is a divorced dad of two who wrote an award-winning, bestselling novel and is now struggling to figure out what to write next. Twins Jude and Roddy are both accomplished; Jude is a famous actress who’s just been nominated for an Oscar, and Roddy is a soccer phenom who is looking at the end of his career, thanks to age and injuries. But he has one last chance to be on a team for another year; it’s just causing a rift between him and his soon-to-be husband.
The siblings’ mom left them early on to pursue her own acting dreams, returning to spend time with them only once a year for a big road trip. They checked off a lot of states and planned to see them all. They were always close and supported each other. But three years ago, a fight led to them not connecting, and Jude has decided it’s time to gather again.
Despite the Oscars looming, Jude sets up a weekend for them all in North Dakota, and none of them can turn down her request. It’s awkward, and old hurts still linger, but at the same time, they fall back into being the close siblings they always were. It all starts to go pretty well, until Jude begins to reveal three big secrets.
I’ve found in the previous Smith books that she is really skilled at writing about families. Greta James is thoughtful and real, focusing on grief, loss, and healing; Field Notes is a teen romance, but the main characters’ families are charmingly loving, supportive and delightful. First Sight is a romance as well, but is just as much a story about a young woman making a fresh start with her father.
Fun for the Whole Family really is all about family. These siblings have unusual lives as adults, with three of them being famous and extraordinarily accomplished (on the surface). They also had a bit of a tough upbringing with an absent, erratic mother and a father often physically absent because of his work. They leaned on each other and especially Gemma. Now, they have to come to terms with loss and grief, with hurt, and find ways to forgive and heal. It’s another lovely exploration of familial love from a strong writer.
Rated: High. Profanity includes 24 uses of strong language, around 10 instances of moderate profanity, about a dozen uses of mild language, a dozen instances of the name of Deity in vain, and a few uses of British profanity. Sexual content includes kissing and making out and references to people having sex but no scenes.
Click here to purchase your copy of Fun for the Whole Family on Amazon.
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
