Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak is one of those books usually categorised as “women’s fiction” – that is to say, that it is about families and relationships but it is not literary fiction. This is a very popular genre, not just with women I suspect, but I don’t read many of this type of story from personal preference. This book was, I suspect, sent to me in my monthly second-hand book subscription at some time and has lingered since on the to-be-read piles. Having a number in the title qualified it for my current challenge otherwise it might have remained there for some time to come.
The story is about a family who have a second home in Norfolk. The elder daughter, Olivia, has been working as a doctor in Liberia where there is an epidemic of a virulent disease. On returning home Olivia has to quarantine for seven days and the decision is made that the whole family will join with her and that they will celebrate Christmas together, in isolation in Norfolk. Of course, each member of the family has a secret which they are trying to keep hidden, and, of course, they will fail. Relationships between various family members are strained, for various reasons, and each of them will make a decision about how they will change their lives in the future. The author moves the viewpoint between each member of the family in short chapters so the story moves along quickly.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It avoided too much sentimentality and didn’t try to be too funny. The plot unwound slowly with a series of revelations including an illegitimate child seeking his father, an illicit relationship, a cancer diagnosis, and some secrets hidden in the attic. You can pretty well guess what is going to happen by the end of the book but the author is careful to show characters changing their views and lives in a realistic way, and I particularly liked how she didn’t demonise anyone and gave her characters some depth. I am not sure that the seven days of quarantine together is what really happens in these cases but it makes for a good plot.
This is a quick and easy read but an enjoyable one. I shall pass this paperback, which is in excellent condition, onto Oxfam for resale.
Anne Is Reading 