A Good Family by Erik Fassnacht

I was first attracted to this book about the Brunson family in Downers Grove, Illinois because of the local setting. However, I was quickly pulled into this story of a dysfunctional family: parents Henry and Julie who are in their late 50’s and facing a disintegrating marriage; plus, sons Charlie, just home from war in Afghanistan, and Barkley, a struggling writer and new teacher applicant.

Initially, A Good Family is a melancholy story. Henry has moved out and is struggling with a mid-life crisis, while Julie relies more and more on Zoloft to cope. Charlie returns from war, but continues to battle flashbacks and PTSD while Barkley deals with feelings of inferiority and a potential new girlfriend.  Each of the four main characters narrates separate chapters filled with realistic details and shares very introspective feelings and thoughts. Since each one is quite different from the others, I was surprised at the consistent, authentic voices (including Julie’s) that were expertly crafted by author Erik Fassnacht.

Gradually, the novel turns hopeful – and the characters become stronger and more proactive. I found myself rooting for them, although at 432 pages, the novel did begin to feel a little long. Overall, I easily moved between chapters and viewpoints in the work which Publisher’s Weekly calls “well-executed debut novel...a[n] engrossing and lucid work.”

About halfway through reading A Good Family, I found out that the connection is even more “local” than originally thought: Erik is our Special Ed teacher Kate’s husband. That is exciting news and we are wishing him well!