It's so good to read new books by authors you already know are good at what they do. We had the opportunity to review One Lavender Ribbon by Heather Burch a few years ago and knew she'd be an author we'd want to read again and again. Something Like Family is one of those stories that could have been all dark and depressing with lots of painful emotions and no real closure (like Sissy's latest diet) but instead it's uplifting, fulfilling, and has a beautiful happy ending (like the strawberry swirl cheesecake in Bubby's fridge).
I don't like cheesecake that much. I'm not on a diet, thank you very much. I'm on a healthy lifetime eating plan. You should try it. Besides, what does that have to do with Something Like Family? It is a beautiful, moving story and now I'm going to say serious things about it.
Serious? Or boring?
Behave yourself right now. Sometimes people's circumstances are so horrible growing up that they fail to ever heal and be able to deal with life. There are others who, despite their trials, manage to become lovely productive adults. Our main character Rave is one of the latter. His growing relationship with his sweet, wise, Grandpa Tuck is the highlight of this story.
I completely fell in love with Grandpa Tuck. He reminded me in some ways of our own grandpa, especially in how much he loved and missed his dear wife. It's so obvious that all Tuck needs in his life is for the people he loves to be happy and to love each other. I'd like to tell you if that happens or not but...SPOILERS.
I was talking to someone on Sunday about immigrants who trudged thousands of miles to the west and battled immense physical trials and losses. I decided I wouldn't have made it past the Missouri River. I would have laid down in the snow in front of the wagon and just let it roll over me. But Rave has something inside him that makes him carry on through his hardships and thrive. He allows himself to have hope, and the people he meets in Tennessee make him believe in second chances.
Something Like Family is just a great story. There's drama, several unexpected plot twists, excellent characters that move quickly and deeply into your heart and, of course, a little romance - on several fronts. I wasn't expecting Something Like Family to have that perfect happy ending I'm always craving, but it did. Not quite the one I was expecting, but oh, it was a good one! Heather Burch has cemented her place on our must-read author's list.
Sometimes wrenching, but ultimately oh so tenderly fulfilling, Something Like Family is a wonderfully written novel that warmed my heart through to the center.
Click to buy Something Like Family by Heather Burch
