What readers think of Did You Ever Have A Family, plus links to write your own review.

In the hands of a lesser writer, this book would have been totally different. The basic plot point that undergirds it all is so shocking and horrific that most writers would have made that the primary focus, but author Bill Clegg instead uses it as the small central hub of a wheel and the spokes radiating out of that hub—the characters who are most impacted by the event—are the focus. It's brilliant.

What is that shocking and horrific plot point? It's a lovely May evening in a tony small town in Connecticut, the night before a wedding reception is to take place on the grounds of an old and storied stone house. The house is filled with sleepers—the bride and groom, the bride's father, and the longtime boyfriend of the bride's mother, who happens to be Black when everyone else is White. The house explodes, killing everyone inside. The only survivor is the bride's mother, June, who was outside, having fallen asleep beneath the wedding reception tent.

As tragic and horrific as that is, the point of the entire book is not the gruesome explosion. The point of the entire book is the effect the explosion and deaths have on the bride and groom's families, their closest friends, and the townspeople as each of them deals with what happens—from grief to guilt—and how they eventually find forgiveness, solace, and hope that allows them each to keep living.

Each chapter focuses on one person, bouncing around in time and place. That said, it is never confusing and always flows in exactly the way the reader would expect. Some of the characters' stories are astonishing, some made me weep, some made me happy, and all of them are remarkable in the way they are written and presented. Eventually, each character must answer this most pivotal question: What is the point of living and loving?

This is truly an extraordinary novel.

I almost passed on reading this book because of the tragedy involved in the story. So glad I didn't. This is one of the best pieces of fiction I've read in awhile. Great storytelling and really wonderful character development. I highly recommend it.