The Children

March 21, 2016
In Leary’s portrait of a quirky old-money family, secrets come to light as the family members redefine their relationships after the death of their patriarch. Since the recent death of her stepfather, Charlotte Maynard hasn’t strayed far from home. She spends her days holed up in the attic of their sprawling Connecticut lake house, writing the fake “mommy blog” that represents her primary source of income and trying to avoid her self-aggrandizing cheapskate of a mother. Charlotte’s initially delighted when her stepbrother, Spin, brings Laurel, his fiancée, home to meet the family: she’s a gorgeous, witty, almost improbably accomplished young woman who’s not only crazy about Spin, but charmed by the whole clan. The only person who doesn’t adore Laurel on sight is Charlotte’s sister, Sally, a brilliant but emotionally fragile musician. Soon, the house isn’t the only thing crumbling around Charlotte: as Sally confronts pieces of her past, her grip on reality loosens; Charlotte’s on-again, off-again relationship with the family’s groundskeeper hits yet another snag; and worst of all, someone’s threatening to have Charlotte’s fake blog investigated for fraud. Although Leary (The Good House) ties up her loose ends a little too neatly, her characters are a delightful blend of strong personalities, all with their own little touch of delicious evil, and her darkly comic send-ups of New England wealth, nouveau riche, and Internet culture should keep readers absorbed until the final, most shocking secrets are revealed.

July 1, 2016

The members of the late Whit Whitman's family descend upon Lakeside, the large Connecticut lake house where the poet's second wife, Joan, and her two daughters, Charlotte and Sally Maynard, are permitted to live by the terms of Whit's will. Everything is quite civil, even amiable, until the girls' stepbrother, Spin Whitman, brings his gorgeous new fiancee Laurel Atwood to meet the family. Things start to unravel as Laurel begins to question Joan and childless Charlotte, who has a secret (and very lucrative) mommy blog, about the past and their residence in Lakeside, which is rightfully Whitman property. However, bipolar Sally brings things to a head when her suspicions about Laurel turn out to be correct. At times, the back-and-forth time frame is a bit confusing, but Charlotte's first-person, witty perspective should keep most listeners engaged. As past mistakes--and secrets--emerge, nearly everyone is on edge and suspicious. The growing tension is compelling, particularly after a sudden death raises the usual thorny questions related to money and inheritance. Narrator Gretchen Mol artfully captures each character and the many twists and turns in this often melodramatic tale. VERDICT Recommended for listeners who enjoy general fiction and glimpses into the lives of the wealthy.--Susan Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL

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