Did You Ever Have a Family

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *; LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD, MAN BOOKER PRIZE, PEN/ROBERT W. BINGHAM PRIZE, AND ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE *; AN ALA NOTABLE BOOK Hailed as ';masterly' by The New York Times Book Review, ';a brilliantly constructed debut set in the aftermath of catastrophic loss' (2015 Man Booker Prize Judges). The stunning debut novel from bestselling author Bill Clegg is a magnificently powerful story about a circle of people who find solace in the least likely of places as they cope with a horrific tragedy.On the eve of her daughters wedding, June Reids life is upended when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughters fianc, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Lukeher entire family, all gone in a moment. June is the only survivor. Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake, a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak. From the couple running a motel on the Pacific Ocean where June eventually settles into a quiet half-life, to the weddings caterer whose bill has been forgotten, to Lukes mother, the shattered outcast of the towneveryone touched by the tragedy is changed as truths about their near and far histories finally come to light. Elegant and heartrending, and one of the most accomplished fiction debuts of the year, Did You Ever Have a Family is an absorbing, unforgettable tale that reveals humanity at its best through forgiveness and hope. At its core is a celebration of familythe ones we are born with and the ones we create.