The House We Grew Up In. Finished 12-10-14, 4.5/5 stars, fiction, 386 pages, pub. 2014
Meet the Bird family. They live in a honey-colored house in a picture-perfect Cotswolds village, with rambling, unkempt gardens stretching beyond. Pragmatic Meg, dreamy Beth, and tow-headed twins Rory and Rhys all attend the village school and eat home-cooked meals together every night. Their father is a sweet gangly man named Colin, who still looks like a teenager with floppy hair and owlish, round-framed glasses. Their mother is a beautiful hippy named Lorelei, who exists entirely in the moment. And she makes every moment sparkle in her children’s lives.
Then one Easter weekend, tragedy comes to call. The event is so devastating that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear the family apart. Years pass as the children become adults, find new relationships, and develop their own separate lives. Soon it seems as though they’ve never been a family at all. But then something happens that calls them back to the house they grew up in — and to what really happened that Easter weekend so many years ago.
from Goodreads
I received this book courtesy of the publisher and She Reads and I was supposed to have my review posted by the end of November. Well, life happens and I didn’t even finish reading it until a few days ago. My tardiness is not a reflection on the book because I LOVED IT! If you like family drama with a large side of dysfunction then this is the story for you.
The Birds, thanks to matriarch Lorelei, are a colorful and life-loving family. Lorelei loves to savor the beautiful moments and because she attaches these moments to actual objects in her mind the Bird home slowly starts to collect more things than it needs. When tragedy strikes and dysfunction ensues, the clutter becomes something much worse. Lorelei, beautiful and sparkly, needy and dark, is powerless as her family starts to unravel. Each of her children affected in different ways by what happens.
I don’t want to give too much away. There is enough drama for ten families but it was told in such a way that it was both light-hearted and surprisingly deep without ever feeling too heavy. The Birds are going to stay with me for awhile and possibly help me with my penchant for clutter.
Stacy's Books 
Ooh, I do love family dysfunction so this sounds like a book I’d love!
I enjoyed your review Stacy. I enjoyed this books as well and totally agree with your comments.
I understand how life gets in the way! I really enjoyed your review and it makes me want to read this soon.
I thought about reading this and then didn’t. After reading your review I think I may have to put it back on my list.
I put this on my to-read list – with a family named ‘Bird’, how could I not! 🙂
Making a note of this one,.
I may have to dig this book out of my stacks and try to get to it before the end of the year. Love family dysfunction stories.
This sounds like my kind of book.
A beautiful review! you’ve captured my interest!
I loved your comment about helping with your own clutter. I finished the book and immediately purged my closet and drawers. I’ve been very careful about clutter ever since. I know the book isn’t all about hoarding, but the reactions to Loralei are so visceral that I’m sure I’m not the only one who went on a cleaning spree after finishing this wonderful book.
This is on my list for next year’s read or for over the holidays.
I’ve been hearing good things about this book and am glad you liked it so much, Stacy!
I just finished reading this book and I loved it. Honestly, I couldn’t put it down!