DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY

DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY

By Bill Clegg

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we’ll see
No, I won’t be afraid
Oh, I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me

So darlin’, darlin’
Stand by me, oh, stand by me
Oh, stand, stand by me
Stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No, I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me – “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

This book drew me in from the beginning, slowly and surely. A tragic event occurs the night before a wedding at the home of June, mother of the bride. June’s family, including her daughter and future son-in-law, June’s ex-husband, and Luke, her lover, all perish. June has lost everyone and everything.

The steps leading to the tragedy unfold throughout the story, told through the eyes of those whose lives entwine with June and her loved ones. As layers of the events are peeled back, so are the characters themselves. We feel loss, confusion, terror, anger, hurt, love, betrayal, regret. And we finally, finally feel hope.

While the bones of the story deal with the details of the tragedy, the heart of the novel is the study of each character and who they really are. I had to sit with this one for a while when I finished. It made me really think about consequences of our words, how we relate to those we love, and what we really have when we think there is nothing left.

A lovely and memorable story.

Reviewed November 2018