Every family has its secrets…
Alice Hunter is smarting from the raw deal life has thrown her way: suddenly single, jobless and forced to move home from Melbourne to her parents’ tiny seaside town. And now she faces an uncomfortable truth. She wants her twin sister Libby’s enviable life.
Libby’s closest friend, single mum Jess Dekic has been around the Hunter family for so long she might as well be blood. She’s always considered herself a sister, closer to Libby than Alice ever could be… which of course makes Alice envious of her.
Libby Hunter has all of life’s boxes ticked: prominent small-town doctor, gorgeous husband and two young daughters. But when she is betrayed by those she loves most, it reveals how tenuous her world is…
For Karen Hunter, her children are a double-edged sword of pain and pride. She’s always tried to guide her girls through life’s pitfalls, but how do you protect your children when they’re adults?
As the family implodes, the fallout for these four women will be inescapable…
Bestselling author Fiona Lowe, has produced a tensely negotiated story of family ties, betrayal and sacrifice. She threads complex themes of trust, betrayal and regret into this story in a way that will have you both laughing and crying. She wields an impressively deft hand, creating an utterly addictive read that will have you questioning your own perceptions of what family is.
Fiona Lowe excels in this genre. Right from page one I knew I was in the hands of an exceptional writer, which allowed me to completely relax back and enjoy the ride. I’m embarrassed to admit this is my first Fiona Lowe book. I can guarantee it won’t be my last and I have already taken Home Fires off the shelf at work to read. She is an author with a lot of fans and now I understand why.
Much of the charm of this book comes from the strength of the setting. Set in Kurnai Bay, a small seaside town in Victoria, Lowe writes in a way that draws you into the lives of these four women and the wider community. Fiona visited Better Reading and discussed how she’d done research into these seasonal towns that rely on the tourist dollar over summer to get them through the quieter winter months. In this novel, she brought the feel of such a community to life. You are literally absorbed into the town, and the story, sad to see it end, missing these complex, flawed characters in the days after you read the final page.
Just An Ordinary Family is a compulsive, delicious, emotional rollercoaster. It was such a treat to discover Fiona Lowe and this wonderful novel. I want more please!
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