The Widow's Children

By Paula Fox,

Book cover of The Widow's Children

Book description

A classic American novel from the author of 'Borrowed Finery'.

On the eve of their trip to Africa, Laura Maldonada Clapper and her husband, Desmond, sit in a New York City hotel room, drinking scotch-and-sodas and awaiting the arrival of three guests: Clara, Laura's timid daughter from a previous marriage;…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Widow's Children as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Nobody writes complicated families the way that Fox does. The novel describes a going-away party that is an emotional crime scene of unvoiced (and voiced) resentments by neglected, grown-up children. The book (along with Fox’s memoir, Borrowed Finery) is not just an examination of dysfunction, it is a journey into the dark heart of family, and a portrayal of the damage that is perpetuated and never undone.  

From Courtney's list on really complicated families.

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