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Happy Monday! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the paperback release of Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak! Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation! Stay tuned for information on how to win a copy at the bottom of this post!

About the Book:

It’s Christmas, and the Birch family is gathering for the first time in years. Emma is elated to have her family under one roof, even if the circumstances are unusual. Her elder daughter Olivia is only home because she has nowhere else to go. She’s just returned from treating an epidemic abroad and must stay in quarantine for a week… and so too will her family. For the next seven days, no one can leave the house, and no one can enter. It doesn’t sound too hard. But a week with your nearest and dearest can feel like eternity, especially when everyone has a secret. One of whom is about to come knocking.

 Alternating between each family member’s point of view, SEVEN DAYS OF US is both a sharp-edged wink at difficult family holidays, and a character-driven look at the real failures, fumbles, and false starts that define family.

My Thoughts:

A few of my friends read this book last year, and it turns out not only did they have a wonderful discussion, they connected to the book and its characters. That’s one of my favorite aspects of reading, and since that time, I have wanted to share in the same experience with reading this book. 

The Birch family reunites at Weyfield Hall, their country estate, for Christmas after many years apart. 

Olivia is one of the adult children, and she is a doctor who has been abroad and exposed to an epidemic. She is told she and her family must be quarantined for a week. The father, Andrew, is a restaurant critic wiling away his time solo writing reviews, with a secret tucked away,  and meanwhile, his wife, Emma, has a secret of her own. Also present is another daughter, Phoebe, who only seems to care about planning her wedding. 

The entire Birch family is living under one roof, and they have to interact again, good, bad, or indifferent.

The Birches are on top of each other in the estate, which forces their honesty and communication about past transgressions. But when the biggest secret of all arrives with a knock at the front door, will their family ever recover?

Seven Days of Us is an entertaining family drama. The nuances to each character brought the family dynamics to life. Even though at times the drama is … well, pretty over-the-top, the issues at the heart of this family are distinctly relatable to most anyone, including strained communication, hidden family secrets, and yearning for a sense of belonging. The characters are insightful about themselves, which is refreshing and adds to the relatability. 

Seven Days of Us is a heartwarming, dramatic, engaging, and ultimately uplifting read. The Birches are as dysfunctional as they come, and I was fully invested in their escapades and efforts to survive their holiday together. This is truly the perfect book to read this time of year; maybe even share it with one of your favorite (dysfunctional?) family members? I know know I plan to! 

Thank you to Berkley for the invitation to be part of the blog tour and for the paperback copy. All opinions are my own. 

About the Author:

Francesca Hornak is a journalist and writer, whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and Red. She is the author of two nonfiction books, History of the World in 100 Modern Objects: Middle Class Stuff (and Nonsense) and Worry with Mother: 101 Neuroses for the Modern Mama.

***Book Giveaway***

For a chance to win a paperback copy of Seven Days of Us, please visit my instagram page!  Giveaway generously sponsored by the publisher. I’ll have the giveaway posted on 10/29 by 7:00 pm EST. 

Have you read Seven Days of Us, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR