Family History A Novel [Paperback]

From the prodigiously gifted author of the acclaimed memoirSlow Motion, a stunning and brutally honest novel about one family’s harrowing recovery from devastation.

Rachel Jensen is perfectly happy: in love with her husband, devoted to their daughter Kate, gratified by her work restoring art. And finally, she’s pregnant again. But as Rachel discovers, perfection can unravel in an instant. The summer she is thirteen, Kate returns from camp sullen, angry, and withdrawn. Everyone assures Rachel it’s typical adolescent angst. But then Kate has a terrifying accident with her infant brother, and the ensuing guilt brings forth a dreadful lie—one that ruptures their family, perhaps irrevocably.Family Historyis a mesmerizing journey through the mysteries of adolescent pain and family crisis.“A poised, absorbing book. . . . Shapiro is a gifted writer, andFamily Historyis a bona fide page turner.” –The New York Times Book Review

"One of those books most readers will finish in one sitting . . . because it is so intense you can't take a break. In gripping, moving prose, Shapiro reminds us of any family's essential fragility, but also of the tenacious strength of love." —Detroit Free Press

"Shapiro writes wonderfully. . . . Her portrayal of a mother and wife struggling to accept the limits of her love and custody will resonate with anyone who has wished they could protect someone, and failed." —Chicago Tribune

"Real heart-in-your-throat scariness . . . the characters are so real and the situations so emotional that they leave the reader almost dizzy." —San Francisco Chronicle

“Shapiro is an abundantly emotional writer with a deep understanding of life’s banal blessings.” —Los Angeles Times

“Shapiro’s small observations of motherhood are keen and astutel3j