Jane Austen meets Jonathon Franzen when the wildly disparate members of Lily Hill's family decide to descend on the family home for a visit. At first they are greeted with smiles, clean sheets on the bed and fresh flowers on their bureau top. But then they stay....and stay...and STAY.

This is not a novel to be read quickly. One must settle into the language and savour the nuances revealed through its elaborate descriptions. Once settled in, the reader is soon rooting for Betsy, rolling eyes at Ginger, rooting for Uncle Harvey's romances at the Towne Senior Center, and wondering just what it was that William did to send him into hiding from the FBI & will he persuade Becky to follow him into exile. Presiding over it all, secure in her possessions and common sense is Aunt Lily, a matriarch any family would truly love to have grace their family tree.

Read, savor & enjoy! ( )

A great read, great characters, great story. Clark has created such an interesting group of people and their foibles that you can't help but be drawn in. Its a thick book but it goes quickly as you just MUST see what happens next. Humorous and engaging too. ( )

I keep expecting to hear more buzz about this book. I think it is just as well written as the more popular Corrections, and much funnier. Clark has promised that this is the first in a trilogy about the Hills. I look forward to reading the other two. ( )