Lisa Jewell The Family Upstairs Family Drama and Deceit

The Family Upstairs by author Lisa Jewell is a gripping thriller with family secrets at the core. I felt so involved with the depth of the story until I had a reader's hangover when I had finished.  The story begins with Libby Jones inheriting a huge old house upon her 25th birthday. As she is going through the details of learning about the house and the true story of  her biological parents, in the background a text is being passed between several phones..."The baby is 25"!  The extended family members add to the number of characters, but once you understand the family 'tree' it all makes perfect sense.
Oh, the terrible treatment of the children and teenagers as you really progress through the story is heartbreaking. You figure out the identity of the main narrator as the story unfolds. It is a story of parental weakness, deceitful friends, and the struggle of children to cope and escape. You need to read this when you can curl up in your comfy chair with hot tea or coffee. (Don't drink the chamomile!)
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Photograph by Diane Lochala

"Weeping for the Children"