The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry – 368 pages
Book Blurb:
Ten years ago, Lena Donohue experienced a wedding-day betrayal so painful that she fled the small town of Watersend, South Carolina, and reinvented herself in New York City. Though now a freelance travel writer, the one place she rarely goes is home – until she learns of her father’s failing health. Returning to Watersend means seeing the sister she has avoided for a decade and the brother who runs the family’s Irish pub and has borne the burden of his sisters’ rift. While Alzheimer’s slowly steals their father’s memories, the siblings rush to preserve his life in stories and in photographs. As his secret past brings Lena’s own childhood into focus, it sends her on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.
My Review: 3.5 stars – Guest Review
The Favorite Daughter is a multi-layered family drama that held my interest throughout. After enjoying the author’s last book, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, which was historical fiction, I eagerly anticipated reading this contemporary novel. The story is told from Lena’s point of view, as she returns home and works to reconnect with her sister, and repair the rifts within her family due to many secrets, lies, and betrayals. During the mending process, secrets of the past are slowly revealed, which allows Lena to embark on a journey of self-discovery while dealing with all of her emotional barriers.
The novel was an easy read, complex, yet definitely had a slower pace to it. Lena’s characterization had me the most vested in her journey and transformation. Her sister Hallie, was not as sympathetic and definitely not as likable. Interestingly, it was Lena’s father, Gavin, who was the most authentic, complex, and noteworthy character in the book. The pain depicted between the two sisters was palpable and I deeply felt their ache. Throughout the sisters’ conflicts, it is easy for readers to imagine how they would react in a similar situation.
I enjoyed the setting in the low country of South Carolina, with parts of it taking place in Ireland. The author does a great job of placing the reader into the story’s surroundings. I could clearly see and feel the southern marshes surrounded by the wildlife, the river, and the changing tides in South Carolina. The author also immerses the reader in the sights and sounds of Ireland. The Lark, the family-owned pub, seems like a character brought to life.
This book illuminates the subject of memories and caused me to view memories in new ways. Each chapter was prefaced by beautiful, thought provoking quotes about memories. The author states that she has “long been captivated by the role of memory in our lives……and how it allows us to look back in fondness and yet is also capable of keeping us captive to pain or loss.” The novel examines how memories can take on a life of their own, shape who we are, and can often be unreliable. One of the strengths of the book is the realistic depiction of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. I have had family members with this disease, and the author accurately captures the devastation it causes and the impact on the entire family. Review written by Guest Fairy Ronna.
Quotes I liked:
Do not settle for the mediocre to avoid pain.”
“She could not wait for a man to save her life just as she could not blame a man for ruining it.”
“The problem with memories, Colleen Donohue often thought, wasn’t with the ones she couldn’t let go of, but with those that wouldn’t let go of her.”
“Nothing good, ever, came from over-Googling.”
“Why did children find it so hard to accept that their parents’ lives began well before their children were born?”
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