Did You Ever Have A Family

LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE AND THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

“Masterly.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Daring.” —NPR

Starred Pre-Publication Reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist

One of Entertainment Weekly’s “Blockbuster Novels,” Fall Books Preview

Glamour Magazine’s #1 Pick of “5 Things I’m Loving,” September issue

A Buzzfeed “19 Awesome New Books You Need to Read This Fall” Pick

The stunning debut novel from bestselling author Bill Clegg is a magnificently powerful story about a circle of people who find solace in the least likely of places as they cope with a horrific tragedy.

On the eve of her daughter’s wedding, June Reid’s life is completely devastated when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Luke—her entire family, all gone in a moment. And June is the only survivor.

Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake, a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak.

From the couple running a motel on the Pacific Ocean where June eventually settles into a quiet half-life, to the wedding’s caterer whose bill has been forgotten, to Luke’s mother, the shattered outcast of the town—everyone touched by the tragedy is changed as truths about their near and far histories finally come to light.

Elegant and heartrending, and one of the most accomplished fiction debuts of the year, Did You Ever Have a Family is an absorbing, unforgettable tale that reveals humanity at its best through forgiveness and hope. At its core is a celebration of family—the ones we are born with and the ones we create.