This is Meloy’s second novel; her first was on a Richard and Judy shortlist that was utterly compelling. The Santerre family once again takes centre stage in this new novel and it certainly does not disappoint. Elegant prose with a quiet slightly wry tone and the characters are well portrayed and full of every sort of emotion you can think of. A pleasure to read.
It`s 1979, and seven-year-old Abby, the youngest member of the close-knit Santerre family, is trapped indoors with the chicken pox during a heat wave. The events set in motion that summer will span decades and continents, change the Santerres forever, and surprise and amaze anyone who loved Meloy`s LIARS AND SAINTS.
A rich, full novel about passion and desire, fear and betrayal, A FAMILY DAUGHTER illuminates both the joys and complications of contemporary life, and the relationship between truth and fiction. For everyone who has yet to meet the Santerres, an unmatched pleasure awaits.
Maile Meloy was born in Helena, Montana, and lives in California. Her first novel, LIARS AND SAINTS, drew acclaim from readers and reviewers alike. It was shortlisted for the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction, and was selected as a Richard & Judy Summer Read.
