Erm, yep! Who wouldn’t? But I’ve put my heart into it. I am proud of it, and I love it. Of course, I hope other people love it too, but all I can do is be sure that it’s something I am proud to put out into the world. And I am! Guest Author: Alexandra Potter IG: @alexandrapotter Books: MORE CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY SOMETHING F***-UP by Alexandra Potter, ONE GOOD THING by Alexandra Potter, CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY SOMETHING F***-UP by Alexandra Potter, DO YOU COME HERE OFTEN by Alexandra Potter, ME AND MR DARCY by Alexandra Potter, LOVE FROM PARIS by Alexandra Potter, WHO’S THAT GIRL by Alexandra Potter, YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I DON’T WANT by Alexandra Potter, GOING LA LA by Alexandra Potter, THE LOVE DETECTIVE by Alexandra Potter, CALLING ROMEO by Alexandra Potter, DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME by Alexandra Potter, WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT by Alexandra Potter Feels like the ultimate eavesdropping exercise, it’s satisfying fresh and expertly structured. The penultimate chapter will make you shriek. I loved it’ – Alexandra Heminsley

Ruth is ignoring the news. Like most people, she has relations hip problems, job stress, friends and family who need her. Ruth has a life.Absorbing and unexpected. It took some turns that I really didn't see coming, but which nonetheless felt plausible and satisfying." - Rebecca Wait A compelling portrait of modern family politics... A must read for anybody ( everybody!) who's loved and despaired over their nearest and dearest. I loved it." - Aingeala Flannery Huma is also a brilliant creative writing teacher and we discuss her style as a teacher and some of her favourite book recommendations for writers.

Beautiful and compelling ... the most complex of dynamics are handled with the lightest, deftest touch... masterful.' LAURA KAY Sometimes a book doesn’t need to shout to make an impact. This Family is one of those books – it’s quiet, unassuming and yet it stays in your mind once it’s finished. I liked the little nods to climate change, and I liked that Mary was finally being appreciated. I also liked that the family home itself was a character, and the base for so many pivotal life events. It's definitely a slow read, though, and one that frustrated me at times. The writing is lovely, and I'd recommend it if you like family dramas with lots of different characters. It reminded me of a few books I’ve read in recent years - the reflective tone and tenderness of Nothing But Blue Sky, the quiet, humming prose of Tessa Hadley’s Free Love and the immersive family saga The Paper Palace, which was a little too cynical for my taste, something happily absent here.This is like a latter day Mary Wesley read with its incisive observations. I loved it. It is a beautifully written book. Fans of The Stranding, rest assured - This Family is every bit as good and then some. An absolute treat from start to finish -- Natasha Calder Kate Sawyer is an extraordinary, original writer... An immersive and absorbing read - I could not put this book down." - Aliya Ali-Afzal Fans of The Stranding, rest assured-- This Family is every bit as good and then some. An absolute treat from start to finish.' NATASHA CALDER

There is Mary’s eldest, Emma who is flying in from Los Angeles, Phoebe, a journalist and alcoholic with her partner, actor Michael Regis and their two young kids. There is Rosie ( not a biological daughter) with her partner, Danyal. There is also Mary‘s mother-in-law, Irene with whom she has had a fractious relationship over the years. Irene, of the “don’t read at the table dear” history. I’d spit in her eye for that if she were my mother in law, I thought as I read it ! Weirdly, her ex husband, Richard ( a difficult character at the best of times) is cooking a pig on a spit for the wedding celebrations. They are all trying to hold things together for Mary’s sake, as she’s a kind and enveloping person who does so much for others. The characters themselves were interesting, and felt like real people, even though they are fictionalised. My only qualm was the mention of so many major world events as markers for the years the family lived through; 9/11, the July bombings in London, the Indonesian tsunami, the COVID 19 pandemic. I felt it over complicated the narrative at times. Set over the course of an English summer's day and punctuated with memories from the past forty years of love and betrayal, hope and joy, heartbreak and grief, this is the story of a family. Told by a chorus of characters, it is an exploration of the intimacies and transgressions that bring us to where we are, the changes that are brought about by time, and what, despite everything, stays the same. Messy, complicated joyful characters and relationships that sneak into your heart and make you care ... a bittersweet, deftly woven, captivating portrayal of a mother and daughters -- Jennifer Saint

Kate Sawyer Press Reviews

A masterfully composed, perfectly observed family chronicle that feels utterly real in its evocations of grief, anger and love -- Emma Hughes

Lyrical, literary and luminous . . . buy it and treat yourself to writing at its finest -- Bethany Clift There are difficulties galore and several surprises in store as Emma and Phoebe and their half-sister, Rosie, arrive. Will the siblings behave themselves for Mary’s sake? Set over the course of an English summer’s day but punctuated with memories from the past forty years of love and loss, hope and joy, heartbreak and grief, this is the story of a family. Told by a chorus of characters, it is an exploration of the small moments that bring us to where we are, the changes that are brought about by time, and what, despite everything, stays the same. This Family is the latest by The Stranding author, Kate Sawyer. I loved that book so much and I know lots of you reading this did too. Emma was a wonderfully complex character. From the outside everyone has an opinion of her, and a perception, that she seems to take some joy in perpetuating. She is feisty and speaks her mind, sometimes causing arguments (which are particularly explosive with Phoebe) and touching the nerves of those around her.The intimacy of a family with all its complications is a quietly devastating read. Loved it." - Julie Owen Moylan Again without giving any spoilers, she is betrayed and heartbroken, and yet she is gracious, generous, and loving towards all those who deserve it. The story plays out over the course of a single, gorgeous September day, in the house and garden that Mary moved into with her ex-husband many years ago. Her new marriage will be the last chance for her fractured family to celebrate together before she moves on, and it is her one wish that they get along - at least for this day. This family has been broken for some time, but today they will all be together for the first in time in years. Marys daughters, Phoebe, Rosie and Emma together in their childhood home despite the emotional and physical distance that has been pushing them further apart.