A Good Family

Description

Title & Author:

A Good Family
Constance Sayers

Plot Summary:
Author Constance Sayers weaves three generations of the Hawthorne family within the complexities of a family in her novel. While she unravels the complex dynamics of a family and the secrets that tie them together, she develops a traditional 1950s suburban setting where the Hawthornes seem to be living a perfect life. But as the plot emerges, there are secrets behind the sufferings of each member of the family: grief, betrayal, and the quest for happiness. Then, one great shocking event threatens to rip up the ‘perfect’ façade from a family, and each character has to cope with his or her past and redefine what a family is about.

Key Characters:

Margaret Hawthorne-The head sufferer: to uphold the façade of a perfect family along with dealing with her disappointments.
Ben Hawthorne: A husband with secrets and regrets which surround his inner self.
Rachel Hawthorne: The daughter who wants to break out of the constraints of her orthodox background and start finding her true self .
Supporting Characters: Friends and neighbors continuously influence their life dynamics toward a broader level of societal impact on their lives .
Themes:
The novel explores issues of family loyalty, identity, and love and relationships in their complexities. It also discusses the implications of secrets and regret on relationships within a family and the search for what defines a “good” family.

Setting:
The story takes place in a suburban neighbourhood at the middle years of the 20th century-a nostalgic look at family life of that time which critically questions its basis in much of that time.

Tone and Style:
The writing is very reflective and emotive, intertwining drama with family saga. Sayers is an excellent descriptive writer whose poignant narrative helps readers connect more extensively with the inner thoughts and conflicts of the characters.

Importance:
A Good Family has been appreciated for its fine character structuring. The universal themes that Sayers pursued in this novel are something very close to the readers’ hearts as well. It’s a narration on the complexities of family life, making it a movie by words.

This synopsis sums up the novel A Good Family in terms of its storyline, characters, and themes.