Seven Days Of Us by Francesca Hornak

Seven Days Of Us

by Francesca Hornak

"A warm, wry, sharply observed debut novel about what happens when a family is forced to spend a week together in quarantine over the holidays... It's Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew's elder daughter--who is usually off saving the world--will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she's been told she must stay in quarantine for a week...and so too should her family. For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity--and even decent Wi-FI--and forced into each other's orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems. As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down. In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who's about to arrive..."--

Reviewed by readingwithwrin on

3 of 5 stars

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Emma and Andrew the patriarchs of the family are excited for the family to all be back together for the first time in years for the holidays. The one downside they will all be quarantined together in one house for a week in order to make sure daughter Olivia doesn't infect anyone with a disease she has been helping treat in Africa.





The quarantine wouldn't be a problem, but in recent years this family has been drifting apart in a sense. They all have been keeping secrets from one another and there is definitely a divide in the family over who is close and who is just plain icy towards one another. Will this week bring them closer together or break them farther apart? Or maybe both?



Overall I did enjoy this book. Getting to see this story from each different family members perspective was really nice and helped the story grow in a way that felt like I was really watching a movie or tv show play out in my head that shows a family over the holidays.

I loved seeing things the most from Olivia and a mystery person that you will just have to wait to meet.

I found myself really getting annoyed with Andrew and Phoebe. Andrew was the typical jerkish food critic reporter that never seems to be happy. Phoebe is someone that is smart, yet doesn't use that and instead settles for less and to marry rich in order to fit into a type of mold she seems to think should be filled.

Emma is a character that I really loved. She reminds me so much of other moms who have given up a lot in order to have a family.



The main driving force behind this book is also the secrets that the family has kept from one another and how they are now all coming out throughout the week. From small little misunderstandings to big secrets that will have life-changing consequences for all of them there was never a dull moment while reading this book.



I do think everyone will be able to relate and love at least one character in this book and I can't wait to read something else by this author.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 8 August, 2018: Finished reading
  • 8 August, 2018: Reviewed