'A rare treat, delivered with aplomb' Sunday Telegraph On the day of Charles and Diana's wedding, Rebecca Monroe's mother locked herself in the bathroom and never came out. Was it because her squidgy chocolate log collapsed or because Rebecca's grandmother married her first cousin? Can we never know why we do what we do? 'This clever and moving debut examines three generations of the Monroe family and explores nature versus nurture...thoughtful and immensely entertaining' Observer
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'A rare treat, delivered with aplomb' Sunday Telegraph On the day of Charles and Diana's wedding, Rebecca Monroe's mother locked herself in the bathroom and never came out. Was it because her squidgy chocolate log collapsed or because Rebecca's grandmother married her first cousin? Can we never know why we do what we do? 'This clever and moving debut examines three generations of the Monroe family and explores nature versus nurture...thoughtful and immensely entertaining' Observer
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Add this copy of The Family Tree to cart. $0.99, very good condition, Sold by Jenson Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Logan, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Penguin Publishing Group.
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Debut novel? It was superb. For anyone who looks back on the 70's and 80's with fond memories - it's a complete tonic. Cleverly worked sub-plots and a host of strong and convincing characters, it was the nearest thing to a "real" autobiography I've ever read.
Congratulations Carole, When Charles and Di got married was an important day to the majority of British people, and to have it imortalised in your novel was wonderful.
rovinrobyn
Jan 17, 2008
A truly dysfunctional family
This is the story of a truly dysfunctional family, spanning three generations of problems that at first do not seem all that unusual. But as time goes on, the plot thickens until near the end, the whole family Tree has been shaken to its very roots. Each main character other than Rebecca, who tells the tale from her point of view, serves primarily to reveal and develop a theme. The overall theme is about love and familial relationships. The relationships, however, delve into tradition, genetics, racial bigotry, jealousy, snobbery, feminism, and sibling rivalry among other aspects of causes for dysfunction in the family. No, there is no rampant alcoholism, drug addiction, physical abuse, or unemployment. But there is sex. Even that is subdued and very infrequently described in detail. As the story commences, the only references to sex are those of naïve, but naughty little girls including Rebecca, who is eight, and her cousin Lucy. But as Rebecca comes of age, she learns a whole lot more about the consequences of sexual encounters, especially those attended by love on the part of one partner or the other. The seriousness of those consequences begin to unfold when Herbert, Rebecca's grandfather, is described in detail. His unholy interest in his cousin Alicia as he stalks and observes her every move, then records her movements in detail in his journal, provides the grist for the documentation of various members on the branches of the family tree. However, it isn't until very near the end that the reader, along with Rebecca, comes to a full understanding of just what took place and when. By that time, there's a glimmer of hope as original lovers reunite, and Rebecca has a renewed opportunity to relate to her beloved Alicia, originally dubbed Nanna. This is a first novel, set in England from 1948 to the present, that is brilliantly conceived and is worth the read if for no other reason than to see a talented lady weave a fascinating story into an artistic tapestry of cause and effect. The disclaimer states that "everything" is the product of the writer's imagination. If absolutely true as claimed, then this is a perfect opportunity to observe a writer's imagination in full-blown kaleidoscopic colors.
