The Kenner siblings are at odds. Jenn is a harried mom struggling under the weight of family obligations. Fred is a novelist who can't write, maybe because she's lost faith in storytelling itself. Jude is a recovering corporate lawyer with her own story to tell, and a grudge against her former favorite sister, Fred. George, the baby, is estranged from his wife and harboring both a secret about his former employer and an ill-advised crush on one of his sisters' friends. Gathered after a major loss, each sibling needs the others more than ever—if only they could trust each other.
[A] powder keg of a dynamic is the backdrop to Lynn Steger Strong’s latest novel ... The mysteries of what’s really going on with each sibling, and whether they can find a way to be a family again...adds propulsion, acting as a foil to the muggy daze of Florida heat and the suspended-in-animation feeling of grief imbued in the story.
The novel weaves in so many side characters and moving parts that it’s sometimes challenging to keep the story straight. That said, Steger Strong’s writing is superb ... A slow-burn family drama that offers great writing and interesting characters, and even a relevant environmental message. But the overwrought storyline left me feeling adrift and looking for a life jacket.
