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Relative Love
The Harrison family gathers as usual for Christmas in their big Sussex house - a tight safe world of festivity and family ritual. This year, however, outside realities are pressing hard: Pamela and John, married for four decades, know that time is catching up with them. And trouble is brewing in the lives of their four children. Cassie, the cossetted youngest, is in the throes of an affair with a married man; Elizabeth, her awkward older sister, is struggling with a faltering second marriage; Peter, the eldest and designated inheritor of Ashley House, is beginning to meet resistance to such a prospect from his career-orientated wife. Only Charlie, the charming and carefree younger son, and his wife Serena, seem truly content, with nothing to worry about except their adolescent twin girls and the simpler teething troubles of their toddler.
Everywhere the scent of change is in the air. Yet, change, when it comes, strikes in the form of a tragedy of the most unforeseeable and devastating kind. The family, so apparently secure, begins to unravel.And secrets, past and present, are exposed, laying bare the fragility of human happiness and the myriad faces of love in an imperfect world.
Everywhere the scent of change is in the air. Yet, change, when it comes, strikes in the form of a tragedy of the most unforeseeable and devastating kind. The family, so apparently secure, begins to unravel.And secrets, past and present, are exposed, laying bare the fragility of human happiness and the myriad faces of love in an imperfect world.
534 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
About the author
Amanda Brookfield
30 books90 followersI have two elder sisters and a twin brother who is much quieter than me and with much longer legs. Our Dad was in the Foreign Office so we spent our childhood living in far-flung places like Shanghai and Stockholm. In fact, until the age of 32 I had never spent more than 3 years under the same roof...it's left me with the opposite of 'itchy feet'.
I fell in love with writing aged 11 when my class was asked to write a ghost story - that thrill of being able to make it all up! Studying English at Oxford was a dream come true, but then real life got in the way and I started a career in advertising, climbing the greasy pole for four years, helping sell washing powder and cold remedies.
Aged 25, I got the chance to go and live in Argentina. I left advertising, set myself up as a freelance journalist and wrote my first novel,'Alice Alone' which was published (to critical acclaim!) in 1989. I haven't stopped,or looked back, since.
I am now published by Penguin. At the last count I had produced fifteen novels and two sons. There will be no more offspring, but lots of books I hope.
I fell in love with writing aged 11 when my class was asked to write a ghost story - that thrill of being able to make it all up! Studying English at Oxford was a dream come true, but then real life got in the way and I started a career in advertising, climbing the greasy pole for four years, helping sell washing powder and cold remedies.
Aged 25, I got the chance to go and live in Argentina. I left advertising, set myself up as a freelance journalist and wrote my first novel,'Alice Alone' which was published (to critical acclaim!) in 1989. I haven't stopped,or looked back, since.
I am now published by Penguin. At the last count I had produced fifteen novels and two sons. There will be no more offspring, but lots of books I hope.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 25, 2014
Big fat book about a large English family with complicated lives, from the oldest to the youngest members. I loved every minute of this book. Major regret: I was generous and shared it with my adult daughters and never got my copy back, but it's well worth buying again. I think I'll do that today!
January 29, 2016
Reviewed by Aubrey
Book provided by the author
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
Reading this grand sweeping novel, I was so extremely jealous of all the family members. I always wanted a family like the Harrison clan. They are all so different in their own ways but would come together each Christmas to celebrate the holidays in this grand house that had been in the family for generations.
The author introduces us to all the family members and we get to know them from their descriptions but also how they interact with each other. I adored how quirky they were. I loved the parents and how each family member deals with the fact that their parents are getting older and are not as spry as they once were.
The author did something that I love so much and that is to dedicate each chapter to each month of the year. We see how each family member goes through their year. How much their lives change through out the year. We see a real family that is dealing with real issues. Nothing is sugar coated in that we get to see how this family deals with their problems. How they fight for what they want in life.
I felt like I was reading a Maeve BInchy novel which was so comforting to me since she is one of my favorite authors. One of the authors that I cherish each of their books and read when I’m sad or blue. Amanda Brookfield definitely will be this kind of author for me.
I also have a slight infatuation with anything British. There is something so endearing to me about British literature. I like seeing how other countries do things. The language and slang fascinate me. I so need to go out and look for other books by Brookfield.
Book provided by the author
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
Reading this grand sweeping novel, I was so extremely jealous of all the family members. I always wanted a family like the Harrison clan. They are all so different in their own ways but would come together each Christmas to celebrate the holidays in this grand house that had been in the family for generations.
The author introduces us to all the family members and we get to know them from their descriptions but also how they interact with each other. I adored how quirky they were. I loved the parents and how each family member deals with the fact that their parents are getting older and are not as spry as they once were.
The author did something that I love so much and that is to dedicate each chapter to each month of the year. We see how each family member goes through their year. How much their lives change through out the year. We see a real family that is dealing with real issues. Nothing is sugar coated in that we get to see how this family deals with their problems. How they fight for what they want in life.
I felt like I was reading a Maeve BInchy novel which was so comforting to me since she is one of my favorite authors. One of the authors that I cherish each of their books and read when I’m sad or blue. Amanda Brookfield definitely will be this kind of author for me.
I also have a slight infatuation with anything British. There is something so endearing to me about British literature. I like seeing how other countries do things. The language and slang fascinate me. I so need to go out and look for other books by Brookfield.
December 6, 2008
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4...
A novel about family relationships with a huge cast of characters I had become quite fond of them by the time I finished the 534 pages. It was an undemanding read but unusually for me rather a slow one, I managed to read a month (chapter) a day! The novel follows the life of a family and those around them for one year from a December early in the 21st century to the following November. The Harrison family are the protagonists of the story. Pamela and John are the parents and live in Ashley House the rambling family home in the depths of Sussex. Weekends, holidays and other special occasions see their children Peter, Charlie, Elizabeth and Cassie gathering together at the family home along with their spouses and offspring. Every member of the family struggles with problems and or secrets in their lives as the apparently secure and happy unit starts to unravel exposing them all to the frailty of life and love.
By coincidence just after I finished reading this I received a present quite unexpectedly of the sequel ‘The Simple Rules of Love’, so I can look forward to many more hours with the Harrison family.
A novel about family relationships with a huge cast of characters I had become quite fond of them by the time I finished the 534 pages. It was an undemanding read but unusually for me rather a slow one, I managed to read a month (chapter) a day! The novel follows the life of a family and those around them for one year from a December early in the 21st century to the following November. The Harrison family are the protagonists of the story. Pamela and John are the parents and live in Ashley House the rambling family home in the depths of Sussex. Weekends, holidays and other special occasions see their children Peter, Charlie, Elizabeth and Cassie gathering together at the family home along with their spouses and offspring. Every member of the family struggles with problems and or secrets in their lives as the apparently secure and happy unit starts to unravel exposing them all to the frailty of life and love.
By coincidence just after I finished reading this I received a present quite unexpectedly of the sequel ‘The Simple Rules of Love’, so I can look forward to many more hours with the Harrison family.
September 28, 2016
I found this book on a list of "books like Rosamunde Pilcher's," and while no one is really like Ms. Pilcher, Amanda Brookfield did evoke a feeling of roots and family akin to my favorite author. The book was a good, long read...and I enjoyed it enough to read another of her books soon.
December 3, 2020
Relative Love
Absolutely fantastic story I didn't want it to end. All tied to the big house as their future but as time passes and circumstances change there are big decisions to be worked out. 😊
Absolutely fantastic story I didn't want it to end. All tied to the big house as their future but as time passes and circumstances change there are big decisions to be worked out. 😊
November 28, 2012
Struggled with this ..not one of my favourites.
November 20, 2013
One of those English family books that I love, could not put it down, without doubt one of my favourite's of all time.
May 9, 2014
Persevered because it seemed to reflect a family life very familiar...
June 18, 2016
Now this is my type of book. Loved this one.
August 22, 2020
Started slowly but got better as it went on.
July 11, 2024
Long and sprawling and so many stories within the overall story. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with all the characters but brilliant none the less.
March 19, 2022
Wonderful read.
I truly loved this book, there is a lot of reading in it, 632 pages. I can honestly say that I didn't skip a single page because it is all readable. It literally takes us through each family member's life good, bad, likes and dislikes. Amanda Brookfield's books are usually very easy to read and Relative Love is exactly that. The words just float along and I was so engrossed in this family's life that I am in the story with them. It's all about life in an affluent family that spend the holidays together in the big family house, Ashfield House, where the parents still live. We learn what their secrets are as the story takes us through the sibling's and their children's lives with their mistakes and tragedies.
I truly loved this book, there is a lot of reading in it, 632 pages. I can honestly say that I didn't skip a single page because it is all readable. It literally takes us through each family member's life good, bad, likes and dislikes. Amanda Brookfield's books are usually very easy to read and Relative Love is exactly that. The words just float along and I was so engrossed in this family's life that I am in the story with them. It's all about life in an affluent family that spend the holidays together in the big family house, Ashfield House, where the parents still live. We learn what their secrets are as the story takes us through the sibling's and their children's lives with their mistakes and tragedies.
February 18, 2017
Not my kind of people; monied and posh, they think they have family values and so the book is named thus, but first evil against family love is sending their kids to jail (boarding school) in the name of doing them some good, while the parents get on with their careers. Not all in the book do this but they are all out of touch with their various children who suffer in various ways.
October 24, 2021
The Harrison family gather for Christmas in their historical family home in the Sussex countryside. John and Pamela have been married for forty years and this aura of love and security extends around their four children and their various offspring. But the inevitable march of time and the same problems extended to less affluent families is destined to catch up with all the characters and looks set to disturb the most solid of foundations: Peter, being the eldest male is set to inherit the family home and is itching to look after it all to the best of his ability. Given his ageing parents reality is closing in on the idea but his wife, Helen, is a London career girl and dreads the prospect. More suited to rural life with Labradors is younger son Charlie, and his wife Serena, who appear to have a good handle on family life, for now. Eldest daughter Elizabeth, is struggling with her second unsuitable marriage while her sister, Cassie, is embroiled in an affair with a married man.
Don’t be fooled by the light-hearted cover art. This is a big, meaty novel with a demanding cast of diverse characters. The structure moves along a month at a time so plenty of time to become invested in each and every one of them. As tragedy unfolds and dilemmas increase, the family dynamic ebbs and flows, testing that relative love to the max. I absolutely loved this book and immediately purchased the next in the series; The Simple Rules of Love.
Don’t be fooled by the light-hearted cover art. This is a big, meaty novel with a demanding cast of diverse characters. The structure moves along a month at a time so plenty of time to become invested in each and every one of them. As tragedy unfolds and dilemmas increase, the family dynamic ebbs and flows, testing that relative love to the max. I absolutely loved this book and immediately purchased the next in the series; The Simple Rules of Love.
August 17, 2011
A meaty book about three generations of the same family, centered around the house that had been in that family for even more generations. It was clever to divide it into 12 chapters, one for each month of the year, charting the rituals of the family as they pertained to that house.
There was nothing wrong with the book. It was well written and kept my attention but it just didn't set me in fire. The reactions from some of the characters to the events that occurred were probably just as they would be in real life but started to irritate me. 'Get a grip,' I found myself shouting at one of them but won't tell you why for fear of spoiling it.
I would recommend this book if you're into family sagas.
There was nothing wrong with the book. It was well written and kept my attention but it just didn't set me in fire. The reactions from some of the characters to the events that occurred were probably just as they would be in real life but started to irritate me. 'Get a grip,' I found myself shouting at one of them but won't tell you why for fear of spoiling it.
I would recommend this book if you're into family sagas.
September 22, 2008
I liked this a lot. While it presents as light fiction, it had much greater depth than I expected. I found it well-written, well constructed, moving and insightful. And yet easy to read.
I found it an interesting and realistic look at families and sibling relationships, especially older families and middle-aged siblings. The tragedy at the heart of the novel was cleverly used to provide insight into how family tragedies affect families as well as the individuals in the family.
This author really "gets" family dynamics. I will read more of her books.
I found it an interesting and realistic look at families and sibling relationships, especially older families and middle-aged siblings. The tragedy at the heart of the novel was cleverly used to provide insight into how family tragedies affect families as well as the individuals in the family.
This author really "gets" family dynamics. I will read more of her books.
April 14, 2016
This book is about The Harris family and 1 year of their lives. Everyone in the family struggles with problems or secrets and what is portrayed to be a happy family but secrets are revealed and life starts to unravel. I thought this book started a little slow but soon I felt like I was part of the Harris family. I liked how the author dedicated a chapter to every month of the year. And I loved how the author centered the book around the house that has been in the family for many generations. I also loved the cover. I give this a 4 star review.
March 5, 2014
If you are a fan of family saga stories, this book is for you. It involves a family of four grown children, their families and all that comes with it. I think you can find yourself or your siblings in this book.
Each chapter was a month at a time for a year. I thought this was a clever way to divide the story. It made it easy to see the progression in the relationships.
Overall, I would say this book was alright, but I didn't get lost in it.
More reviews at Ope's Opinions.com
Each chapter was a month at a time for a year. I thought this was a clever way to divide the story. It made it easy to see the progression in the relationships.
Overall, I would say this book was alright, but I didn't get lost in it.
More reviews at Ope's Opinions.com
August 8, 2014
I enjoyed this book about the Harrison family even though I did not expect to. It was an easy and untaxing read, easy to pick up and put down ideal for a journey or a holiday. The writing was simple, but good and drew me easily into the dramas of the family members.
August 16, 2010
The intrigues of family/extended family. Another great read
October 27, 2013
Struggled and not really my kind of book. I sadly didn't walk away with any thoughts either way which probably means I didn't really like it.
July 22, 2014
Brilliant, really enjoyed
December 17, 2014
for some reason really loved this book
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews