I was so hungry for lighter summer reading on my way home from the office on Friday that I stopped at the Walnut Hills Library to pick up anything.? I had no idea what I wanted – even though I had a list of books to order from the library on my desk and home, and had just bought two new books from Joseph-Beth on Wednesday.
The first set of shelves inside the beautiful building said Grab and Go – staff picks.? So I stopped instantly – saw two books that felt good – and was back out the door two minutes later.
I’ve already finished the first one – The Family Fang, a novel by Kevin Wilson.? An Ann Patchett blurb on the cover says ‘A comedy, a tragedy, and a tour-de-force…’? It was the comedy part that grabbed me.
As it turns out, the book is weird and wonderful.? There are tragedies in it, but lots of very funny tangles as well.? It is sort of light summer reading…? There are a dad, a mom (dad definitely comes first – his craziness is the deepest), Child A Annie and Child B Buster.? The family is built on doing performance art – like walking into a candy store and openly stealing huge amounts of jelly beans, with everyone having specific roles that result in total chaos and confusion.? The problem hits when the kids grow up and try to lead independent lives.
If you’re looking for distraction from all the tangles you’re in – this book will certainly take care of that!?? I’m returning it today, so it’ll be back on the shelf for you soon.