of literary fiction; magical realism and time travel; and a captivating mystery about a complicated family herself entangled in a dangerous ocean quest to rescue a young woman, while fighting to keep her own family The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young June struggles with the complicated implications of her family's novel is a mystery, but Happiness Falls is primarily an exploration of a complicated, loving, messy family But Happiness Falls is primarily a story about a family finally understanding each other and going to

In Elyssa Friedland's Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, two families meet for the summer at their formerly sought-after resort in the Catskills, but the Weingold and Goldman families aren't as close as they When an offer comes through to buy the Golden Hotel, the families reach a tipping point. Can they come together to save their beloved sanctuary, or will the uncovering of secrets and lies, family despite the ways in which the family's various hopes are dashed.

Abriel's grandmother Vera lived with the author's family when Abriel was growing up, and she was immersed Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, Cleave tells the story of Mary, a young British socialite who shocks her family

twists and turns that never feel convoluted, plus other favorite Bossy elements: a small-town setting, a family

Keefe offers an infuriating, fascinating, meticulously researched account of the Sackler family and their to Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe's exhaustive, revolting, fascinating history of the Sackler family dramas, multiple marriages, handshake deals, amassing of vast wealth, and ruthless promotion of the family's obfuscation of the deadly truth about their profitable opioids and medication delivery system, the Sackler family

While there, Jessica discovers a true-crime account of The Turner Family Tragedy of 1959--and her own family's connection to the unthinkable events.

World War II-set novel is a love letter to books, to looking out for others, to forming friends-like-family Viv to glamorous Harrod's, settle Grace in a dusty old bookshop, shakes their makeshift household and family each woman plays in resisting the Nazis and aiding those around them, and the heartwarming friends-as-family

coal-company enforcers to subdue rebellion; the years of suffering for thousands of vulnerable mining families As a child, Misery was given up by her family and community as collateral to keep the peace. York City apartment is burgled, and at that time, all of her tenuous physical links to her past and family They must dive into their own secrets, trauma, career weaknesses, faulted parents, and fractured families

In the book, Belle makes elaborate, often complicated efforts to disguise her family’s background. Her mother was from a longtime, well-respected Washington, DC-based Black family, the Fleets, and her father was a Black activist who abandoned the family for the cause, later starting a second family in The family invents a Portuguese grandmother and changes their last name in order to play up plausible not have been an option for a Black person who happened to have a darker skin tone, as some of her family

story in which elements of humanity are explored, I love an alternate-history tale, and I love a chosen-family

Ava's family is gone, killed by war.

But when Frank's brother shoots a dog going after the family's sheep, the gunshot sets into motion events

They marry, benefit from his family's wealth and influence in every way, and begin to have children in

without fluent language, and yet she yearns to feel more at home in this place that has helped define her family

The split between the largely blue-collar area and the privileged Van Lear family is shown to be stark Cushla is a young teacher (who also fills in at the family pub) living through growing violence outside Intermezzo by Sally Rooney Intermezzo is one of my favorite Rooney novels yet, exploring complicated families The friendships and love interests--which were powerful enough to overshadow the book's dysfunctional families

together to a tropical island for his sister's wedding, pretending to be soulmates, and fooling West's family from a white settlement, and young Olive takes the younger Native American sister to find the only family

Indian American culture, her parents' expectations, society's pressures, and the fiction that her family The book begins with Gupta's apology to her parents for airing the family's dirty laundry rather than

In Spinning Silver, Miryem comes from a family of moneylenders who are on the verge of being unable to So Miryem sets herself the task of collecting the debts owed to her family, earning her the reputation

She's somewhat of a loner, part of a beloved family, and a merchant's daughter, but she's plainly dressed

and general hubbub, is the backdrop for the story of a few summer months in the life of an extended family Florence Adler Swims Forever, the story of a few summer months in the life of an extended family--including fantastic granddaughter Gussie, a daughter with another grandchild on the way, a deadbeat son-in-law, and family There’s an undercurrent of concern about Hitler and his increasingly punitive behavior toward Jewish families Bug is a respectable business owner nowadays with a family.

Betty is based on the author's family stories of difficulties, abuse, tragedies, and a hardscrabble life In Tiffany McDaniel's novel Betty--set in the foothills of Appalachia and based upon her own family's a white mother and Cherokee father, and her life in rural Breathed, Ohio, is tough for her and her family Her other family members were consistently difficult to read about--a horrifically, criminally abusive What feels like her mother Alka's descent into madness threatens the safety of the whole family, both

For more books about difficult family situations, please check out the books at this Bossy link.

She's fake-dating a nice man in order to keep his family off of his back. I found the family dynamic related to her mother's demands of Elsie absurd.

in exploring grief while the main protagonist takes justice into his own hands to bring peace to his family , Jason Bennett is a suburban dad whose life takes a horrific turn when his car is hijacked–and his family Agents advise the family to enter witness protection immediately in order to save their lives. But his mission to uncover who is responsible for his family's trauma will reveal secrets he never would

frigidity in the face of a crushing desire for warmth; and love, complications, and disappointments around family

Collum is an instinctually gifted, strong knight who has literally fought for training as a ward; his family

03 The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Are there ways to cut the ballooning cost of college that's breaking the bank for many American families

Lisa Jewell is also the author of The Family Upstairs.

fiction set in two timelines featuring magical realism; Hello Beautiful, contemporary fiction about a family William grew up in a family broken by tragedy, the darkness and trauma of which shaped his childhood When William's painful history resurfaces, it shakes the entire family with its repercussions. It's not clear whether he and Julia can go on--or if her family will ever be the same. The ways in which the family members reconvene were not neat or without pain, but were intriguing.

Meanwhile she's got family issues to cope with--and she's falling for two different men. vaguely referenced again, but neither the years of systematic bullying and hateful behavior nor other family

It explores the complications of potentially blending a family and the layers of complexity involved

Sybil Van Antwerp has written letters her whole life--letters to dear friends and family, letters of

I scheduled a little Bossy break from posting until today so I could have lots of family time, but instead against-the-odds attempt to evade evil and develops into a beautiful heartbreaker of a story about duty, family four-year-old son, Tot, who are fleeing from Nell's abusive husband and his vindictive, terrifying "Swamp Fox" family in Me, Britney Spears offers the story of her life to date: select events of her youth, complicated family connections, and to the joy and satisfaction in a settled life surrounded by loyal friends and found family

Through Bell's voice we also learn what has shaped the other women of the family: we hear rich stories Kalb shares rip-roaring tales of family history; Bobby's distinct pride in generations of the family crisp, specific advice about fashion, shopping, love lives, career, and transportation; her unwavering familial ultimately, Kalb's own loss of her beloved best friend and grandma, which shakes her life and reshapes the family

Blush centers around a family winery and the three generations whose lives orbit around the vineyard Jamie Brenner's recently published novel Blush centers around a family winery and the three generations the respected grandfather of North Fork wineries on Long Island, and most members of the Hollander family plans for the business and for their individual futures; and basic, intensely complicated interpersonal family

Mandanna's is a fun magical story featuring an oddball cast of characters, satisfying justice, love, chosen family Sera's inn along with his neurodivergent young sister, and suddenly Sera and her messy, oddball chosen family instinctually gifted, strong knight who has literally fought for sword training as a lowly ward; his family

They must dive into their own secrets, trauma, career weaknesses, faulted parents, and fractured families

Hildegard von Bingen began seeing visions at a young age, and her family offered her to the church at Because of familial monetary concerns and timing (another girl was willingly entering into solitude),

France, as well as extensive forays into the country's traditions, political interests, and its royal family's

01 Sandwich by Catherine Newman Sandwich is beautifully wrought story of complications and familial adoration the unapologetically contradictory and menopausal Rocky at the heart of the messy, wonderful extended family Rocky's family has been vacationing in Cape Cod for twenty years. To save their treasured family time together, Rocky may have to share secrets she never intended to reveal

entrenched in situations more far-reaching than Camille could have imagined, and Aubrey's friends-like-family

rural hometown to Oxford to beg her socialite, newly married sister for financial assistance for the family

must figure out how to close the gates to hell--while fending off the nefarious Yale faculty members, family Bardugo is the author of the first two books in this series, Ninth House and Hell Bent, as well as The Familiar

both their parts (confusion about arrival dates, the consistent use of nicknames, and a lack of recent family

More about This Author Reva is a Ukrainian expat who has spent years keeping track of her family from

military; The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream is Jeannie Zusy's novel about a loving, complicated family mother was forced to marry the cult's leader when she was thirteen and worked as secretary for "The Family In The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream, Jeannie Zusy offers a messy, heartwarming family story Ken, who was Japanese American in a family that had lived the United States for generations, favored

01 London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden

Coordinated Universal Time as they pass through sixteen sunsets and sunrises in twenty-four hours, watching familiar Meanwhile each astronaut thinks of family members on earth, prepares dehydrated meals, exercises, engages close quarters, for many months--and inspiring reflections on life, death, loss, the past, the future, family

centered around Nora, an impulsive, hot-tempered, strong woman fighting for a hardscrabble life for her family reluctantly ends up agreeing to transport a young, recently rescued Kiowa captive 400 miles to her extended family

. 03 The Unwinding of the Miracle by Julie Yip This book is Yip-Williams's powerful farewell to her family This book serves as her powerful farewell to her family but also holds meaning for anyone considering determined rise to stardom, her religious faith, her reliance on and love for her friends, her deep familial