Synopsis
“When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it’s not easy. She deserted them all – and her high school sweetheart – five years before with little explanation, and they’ve got questions. Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the East Coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiance. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect the Brennans is to upend all their secrets – secrets that have damaged the family for generations and will threaten everything they know about their lives. In the aftermath, the Brennans are forced to confront painful mistakes – and ultimately find a way forward, together.”
-Synopsis from inside front cover
Review
We Are The Brennans was my Book of the Month pick for July. It has been quite a while since I have read a family drama, and this book reminded me of why I used to love this genre so much!
The Brennan family consists of Sunday, the only daughter, her three brothers, Denny, Jackie, Shane, and their father, Mickey. Denny runs the family pub along with his business partner and childhood friend, Kale Collins.
Sunday left New York five years ago and has now returned home under unfortunate circumstances. As she begins the difficult process of healing from her car accident, she confronts the painful feelings that come with being back home after all this time.
While her family is excited to have her back, there are mixed feelings all around which makes for some uncomfortable moments as it seems that almost all of the Brennan’s are keeping secrets from one another. Sunday never realized the ripple effect that her leaving home would have, and we don’t see just how much of an impact she has had on everyone until almost the very end.
Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different member of the Brennan family. The chapters are short, and include present-day scenes as well as flashbacks. I thought this was a very effective way to tell the story because information was only revealed in bits and pieces, as if one family member would start the memory and the next chapter, told from a new perspective, would finish it.
The Brennan family is very likable and that made for an enjoyable reading experience. If you are looking for a light read, or a family drama, I would definitely recommend this book. I look forward to seeing what Tracey Lange writes in the future.
Hannah's Library 