A Family Affair: A Novel

A Family Affair by Robyn Carr is a poignant novel about grief, love, heartache, betrayal, family, and forgiveness. Anna McNichol loses her husband, Chad unexpectedly. When his will is read, the family is surprised when he leaves money to an anonymous individual. Anna and Chad had been having marital problems recently and now she will never be able to get them resolved. Chad was unhappy with the marriage and seemed to be searching for something. Anna notices a pregnant woman at the funeral and wonders what other secrets her husband was hiding. Anna's three grown children deal with their grief in diverse ways. Each is struggling with the loss. We follow the McNichols as they deal with the loss of Chad and learn about his secrets. I thought A Family Affair was well-written with steady pacing. My one complaint is the repetition. The same facts repeated over and over throughout the book. I thought the characters were developed and realistic. Robyn Carr created a realistic family and explored their dynamics. Each family member needs to make a choice. They could stay bitter and angry at Chad for his actions, or they can forgive so they can go on to lead happy, fulfilled lives. Anna is a strong woman who handles the challenges thrown at her while continuing to do her job and support her children. A Family Affair has a satisfying conclusion. Life can change in an instant as we see in A Family Affair. If you like family dramas that delve into intricacies of a family, you should pick up A family Affair. A Family Affair is a story that will tug at your heartstrings.