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Scots writer Dewar's seventh novel is a funny, moving portrait of Edinburgh family members struggling to define themselves outside of their intricate network of attachments. Through a journalism assignment interviewing a 1960s feminist icon and photographer, writer Lily discovers that her mother Mattie led an exciting and dangerous life as a rock 'n' roll groupie, and Lily begins to wonder if she has not taken enough chances in her own tightly controlled life. Meanwhile, Lily's sister Marie is struggling as a newly single mom and their brother Rory has just been pressured into marrying his French girlfriend, though he's not at all sure he's ready. And, for the first time in their marriage, retirees Mattie and John are fighting. Each confronts half-formed desires and disappointments, petty weaknesses, and most of all, the envy that's endemic to the lot of them. While there's a cartoonishness to the situations (a missing remote control or a wrongly assigned cheese sandwich can incite deep rifts) Dewar (It Could Happen to You) draws complexity from them. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Dewar's latest is a warm, witty slice of modern life featuring the White family: scion Martin, his son John and daughter-in-law Mattie, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and their assorted spouses, partners, children and friends. Mattie has a particularly rosy vision of how life ought to be--neat, tidy, and perfect. So she's often disappointed when things don't turn out as she expected. Her long-suffering husband tries to help her face reality but isn't always successful. John and Mattie's children all have their own problems and issues: Lily, the eldest and always the good one, has all the trappings of success, but happiness eludes her. Marie, the wild one, made one huge mistake that has transformed her life forever. Rory, the youngest and most headstrong, lives a bohemian life in Paris and has found true love with Isabel, but his fear of commitment makes the relationship uncertain. Despite their squabbles and problems, though, the Whites remain a close-knit, loving family, and readers will find plenty to laugh about, cry over, and enjoy in Dewar's elegantly written family saga. EmilyMelton. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.