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!

Fredrik Backman's new story within a story

I liked A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, so I looked forward to the author’s new book, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, which starts out in an intriguing manner due to the character of Granny.  Unfortunately for 7 year-old Elsa, Granny is not able to stay and protect her for the rest of the book.  Elsa fights bullies again and again at school and the bureaucrats (as in A Man Called Ove) and her Mum seem particularly clueless and ineffectual.

This novel deals with superheroes (something all 7 year-olds need), divorce, remarriage, half siblings and the impossibility of staying invisible in the school cafeteria. I do find Elsa’s ruminations to be charming and heartfelt, but the fairy tale Land of Almost-Awake is, for me, less interesting than real life and the rather dysfunctional characters who live in Elsa’s apartment building. The writing is unique and the story complex. There are many characters and the distortion of 7 year-old perspective, while cleverly created, made reading and interpreting difficult for me. Do pick up this book if you have tons of patience and time for reflection; it received a starred review from Booklist.  The best part of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry? Its message: “if a sufficient number of people are different, no one has to be normal.”