Family Plots: Love, Death & Tax Evasion [Paperback]

Mary Patrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 29, 2008

Family Plots is a fresh and funny autobiographical novel about a young mother trying against all odds to create a normal family life with her new husband, a criminal attorney, who-it turns out-is committing a few crimes of his own. The novel offers readers a wry, unsentimental account of a marriage barreling toward calamity. In an attempt to find romance, family, and financial stability, its struggling heroine stumbles into a world of pseudonyms, fake weddings, and hidden bank accounts. Events that land many of the players into the family cemetery plot also reveal unexpected secrets and stashes that manage, in small ways, to transform a tale of seeming tragedy into one of surprising healing and redemption.VISIT THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE AT www.mydreamisdeadbutimnot.comCHAR(13) + CHAR(10)Praise for Family Plots:CHAR(13) + CHAR(10) Mary Patrick Kavanaugh tells her story with such unabashed honesty and rapier-sharp humor that she had me hooked from page one. This is one of those "you couldn't make this stuff up" kind of books that makes you think that's awful, while you're laughing out loud at the same time. But beneath the wonderful wit in this dark comedy is a layer of poignancy that takes my breath away. In the end, it's about all the crazy things we do for love.Lolly WinstonCHAR(13) + CHAR(10)New York Times Bestselling Author of Good Grief and Happiness Sold SeparatelyCHAR(13) + CHAR(10)...[It] reads like a thriller. I honestly couldn't stop thinking about it all the time I was reading it, and finally just took the phone off the hook to finish it. Adair Lara, Author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go (among others)CHAR(13) + CHAR(10)...Family Plots has a great story at its heart: the tension between the longing for security and the longing for excitement, played out in the narrator's romance in which she increasingly sacrifices steady judgment and middle-class dreams to the power of her attraction toward a man whose charm gives him away as a con man and a dreamer. In a subtle

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary Patrick Kavanaugh has a checkered professional past that includes time served in a wide range of professions, ranging from private investigator to Avon Lady. Recently, after a series of crushing disappointments, Mary redirected a life long dream of becoming bestselling author into a new goal of being the most successful failure possible. In this role she offers workshops, products, and cheap advice that assist the downtrodden to reframe difficult experiences in a positive way. Her website, www.mydreamisdeadbutimnot.com, serves as a gateway to a virtual cemetery that invites visitors to bury the failed dreams that have morphed into obstacles to light hearted living. Because no life is only about its flops, the author admits to having one perfect daughter, one happy marriage with a loving (but now dead) husband, one well-adjusted cat that prefers to live with her aunt, and a confusing, yet fun, personal life. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from University of San Francisco (2003), a BA in History from San Francisco State University (1988), good teeth, and an excellent credit rating.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (October 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1440104662
• ISBN-13: 978-1440104664
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,745,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a fabulous book... November 24, 2008

By Anne Moose

Amazon Verified Purchase

Family Plots is wonderful on so many levels that I'm afraid I won't do it justice, but I'm going to try, because I think Mary Patrick Kavanaugh and her incredible first book deserve widespread recognition. Though it's written as a novel, the book is basically the true story of the author's search for love and stability for herself and her small daughter. She does find happiness, but there's a hitch: the man of her dreams is not exactly on the up and up, an he comes with a cast of characters that are both mysterious and shady. I won't try to summarize the plot, because I don't want to give anything away, but it's a remarkable, sometimes zany story with unforgettable characters, masterful dialog, and so much humor and heart that I predict it will become a best seller. This book is simply a pleasure to read, and though it's humorous throughout, it ultimately takes you to a place that is surprisingly serious, with messages about love and humanity that are deeply moving. Family Plots has everything. Above all, it has Mary, whose honesty and quirky take on life make it one of the best modern novels I've read. I simply love this book, and heartily recommend it to anyone who appreciates a good story, superb writing, and the kind of wit and wisdom that make you fall in love not only with the book, but also with the author.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I laughed and I cried December 20, 2008

By H. Miller

A very funny yet poignant book. The author is an amazing writer. I kept reading excerpts to my wife as I was reading - I hope I didn't spoil it for her. This is the best creator of metaphors I have ever read. I wanted to stop and write some of them down because they were so evocative of images and memory. A poetic experience.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood: Call Cemetery Mary May 26, 2009

By Michael

A real life underdog, Cemetery Mary battles deceit, deception, and life's (and family) drama with every well-written page. Family Plots reminds us not to take life too seriously and inspires us to be brave - for ourselves and the ones we love.