Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg (2015-08-25)

I hesitated for a moment after reading the brief description of the story, but I'm so glad I went ahead and read this book. Bill Clegg is a gifted writer and created extremely interesting characters to inhabit his novel. Excellent.

This book is almost like a series of short stories about each character. In the end the story "comes together" but I found myself looking back to see which character's story I am reading.
The sentence structure and style is simple and direct.

Bill Clegg creates very authentic characters in June, Lydia and even Silas. The book stresses that we are all just doing the best we can in our lives, so we make mistakes, hold grudges, say unkind words, and keep secrets to stay safe. This book illustrates how we must all learn to forgive and be open to love and friendship though, it may not always come from those we expect it to.
Because the story shifts and is told from different characters'points of view, it is a bit confusing at the beginning. Gradually all the pieces come together and build to a carefully orchestrated crescendo. I highly recommend this book as it has an intriguing plot, interesting and well portrayed characters and a finely crafted writing style.

Tribute must be given to the powerful and beautiful writing of the author. The almost lyrical tale is told from several viewpoints all of which center around a small Connecticut town where a bride loses her groom in a horrific explosion on their wedding day. Not only does the bride experience loss, but a mother, another set of parents, a sister, and a brother. The explosive horror of that day is not enough: the effects of the death on others in the families provides a story worth telling and certainly worth reading. Perhaps the central character is the fiance of one of the victims of the explosion and how she deals with her loss by fleeing her home and her friends to flee to the opposite coast where she holes up not knowing what to do next. Surprisingly, that answer comes from the mother of that young man, also holed up with her sorrow until she finds a new direction. Others handle their grief in positive ways by memorializing the victim, and still others by trying to find another road ahead in life. All of the stories connect in twisting ways that hold the reader's attention. The underlying theme is "Family" but in a most unorthodox manner. I highly recommend this book and tip my hat to the author.

the story unravels page after page, each chapter is a different person. It definitely shows how peoples actions affect other people without them even knowing. It comes full circle, ending the way it began. I think the author is one of the characters in his book.

As often seems to happen these days (or years), I am baffled at the reviews (and all the prizes) attached to this novel. In my view, it is anything but "masterful." I found it naive, very simple, and amatuer. The actual meaning of the word "amatuer," so often forgotten, is "one who loves." And I give the author that. It's clear that he loves his characters. But I am so deeply tired of this all-too-easy and uncomplicated choice of structure -- each chapter the view point of a different character. It is the overwhelming choice of most novelists these days, so it seems to me. And it is by far the easiest thing to write. I so long for a real narrative, carried all the way through, that is strong enough to create a complex world and carry all the characters within it. For a brilliant experiment with structure, read _Life After Life_ by Kate Atkinson. She is a brilliant writer who understands everything about narrative and structure. This writer is just beginning, and every choice, every seam shows. And the story? I certainly don't find this ANY kind of "celebration" of family. It is rather a clear condemnation of family, and the way it judges and confines people -- often ruining their lives. It is a celebration, IF there's any celebration going on here (which I certainly didn't get) of friends, of the way in which people who you hardly know can come into your life in a saving way. There's a lot of small town cruelty in this story. If you ask me, there's no celebration of anything. Just a thin story, characters held together only by the front and back cover, with no sustaining, real narrative to hold them in context. "What happens" doesn't matter, because it is not made to matter. The cause of the killing fire is telegraphed, no surprise, no consequences. I really disliked this book. I hate writing negative reviews, because I well know how difficult it is to write a real novel. The ones I read now, the ones highly lauded and given such prizes, often seem to me nothing but very rough drafts. People who know and love language, and really care about novels, have to look far and carefully to find one they can fully love.

The book has an interesting format, with each chapter being from the viewpoint of just one of the characters, indicated by the chapter title. The author readily draws you into the lives of his characters.

Loved this book! It was a little challenging at the beginning to figure out and remember the characters. They are each their own chapter; weaving in and out, unraveling a story in which many lives are touched by a tragic incident.