Did You Ever Have a Family? by Bill Clegg
Did You Ever Have a Family? is founded on an incident that for most people would be too much to bear thinking about. On the morning of what had been due to be a joyous occasion that most mothers dream of, the morning of June Reid’s daughter’s wedding, a fire engulfs her house and kills her entire family.
Bill Clegg takes us on a journey with June Reid, who flees her town, as she attempts to survive her grief. We find out all about June’s family, their lives, their relationships as well as their mistakes and regrets. Clegg also examines the detail of human relationships, our connection to others and does not shy away from the good, the bad and the ugly.
A tale of love, life, loss and grief; an unpicking of healing and recovery after the trauma of loss.
Themes:
Love
Loss
Grief
Relationships
Human nature
Mistakes
Regret
Favourite quote from the book:
“Her eyes look at what is ahead – the road, a fallen tree – but her mind scours the past, judges each choice made, relives every failure, roots out what she overlooked, took for granted, and didn’t pay attention to. The present scarcely registers.”
About the author:
Bill Clegg is an American literary agent and author. Did You Ever Have a Family? is his debut novel and was long listed for the 2015 Man Booker Prize. Clegg overcame drug addiction and wrote about it in his two memoirs: Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man: A Memoir and Ninety Days. He lives in New York with his husband.
Where to buy:
LittleWordNerd rating: 4 / 5
