Family Baggage [Paperback]

Monica McInerney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2005

Harriet Turner knows all about journeys. After all, she's arranged hundreds of them for the travel agency her family runs in the Australian coastal town of Merryn Bay. But when her work colleague and foster sister Lara disappears on the eve of a big overseas trip, Harriet finds herself in uncharted territory. Left alone in England with a coachload of eccentric tourists on a themed tour of locations from the Willoughby TV detective series, Harriet has her hands full. But as the bus trundles through the picturesque Cornwall countryside, the tour becomes another kind of journey for her. She finds herself facing big questions about her family and her childhood, about her feelings for the guest of honour on the tour, star of Willoughby, Patrick Shawcross - and the biggest puzzle of all: what has happened to Lara? Praise for "The Alphabet Sisters" includes: 'Big-hearted family saga set in Australia, Ireland and London' - "Daily Express". 'Tender and well-observed...there is also plenty of McInerney's trademark wit, but have the hankies ready for this, probably her best novel yet.' - "Irish Independent"

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Turner Travel specializes in themed tours that take Merryn Bay, Australia, locals abroad. The natural deaths, two months apart, of patriarch and matriarch Neil and Penny Turner leave the family business in the hands of their three children, Harriet, James and Austin; foster daughter Lara; and a handful of family friends. The book opens as Harriet, still recovering from her mother's death, leads 12 tourists through the Cornwall countryside in the footsteps of British TV detective Willoughby, but flashes back to the family's past and various coping strategies: James hides behind his domineering wife, Melissa; Austin parties; Lara, taken in by the family under mysterious circumstances nearly 25 years earlier, is the model of efficiency. Meanwhile Lara, who was to aid Harriet on the Cornwall tour, has disappeared, and Patrick Shawcross, the actor who played Willoughby and who has been hired to accompany the tour has mistaken it for a where-are-they-now media opportunity. The mystery of Lara's family and Melissa's nefariousness come to light, and Harriet's love life heats up. McInerney (The Alphabet Sisters), who lives in Ireland, offers a light look at a complicated family. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Monica McInerney was born in the Clare Valley of South Australia and has lived in Australia, Ireland and England.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan (August 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670041432
• ISBN-13: 978-0330427432
• ASIN: 0330427431
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,405,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent pool side reading!, July 18, 2006

By 

Betty L. Murphydwoske "book-a-holic" (boston, ma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Family Baggage: A Novel (Paperback)

i picked this up in a used book store although i was not familiar with the author. the cover looked interesting. i was surprised at how much i enjoyed reading the book and how caught up i got into the character's lives. i was sad when it ended and i wanted it to go on.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Family Baggage Packs Some Punches, December 13, 2006

By 

Carolyn "Author of Every Little Step She Take... (Sherrill's Ford, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Baggage: A Novel (Paperback)

Never having read any of Monica McInerney's books before, I didn't know what to expect with Family Baggage. I have to say, the first chapter kept me only mildly interested. However, the further I read, the more I enjoyed the story. For anyone interested in the dynamics of a large extended family, this book will provide a fun, interesting read. The characters really grew on me - none were stereotypes and I particularly enjoyed the Patrick Shawcross character. Although I suspected the truth about the main area of conflict pretty early on, that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story and how it unfolded. Any book that can make me both laugh out loud and get teary-eyed certainly gets my appreciation. My only complaint - no hospital would have kept James there for so many days!!!

I will certainly be checking out Ms. McInerney's other books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Drawn out baggage, July 2, 2006

By 

Mrs. Janine K. Kimberley "jaykkay" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Family Baggage: A Novel (Paperback)

I have read all of Monica Mcinerneys novels and I found that this one and the Alphabet Sisters have been hard work to read.

Her first three novels were fantastic - kept you interested from the first to the last page with a funny, believable storyline.

This one (Family Baggage) was such a chore, its not a small book (482 pages)and to be quite honest could have been written in about 300 pages without missing anything. I hope she realises that her reading audience is basically, the chick lit audience, that are cash rich and time poor - so either keep the novel more interesting or shorten the size. I'll think twice before reading another one.