The Children by Ann Leary.

 The Children by Ann Leary. St. Martin's Press, 2016.
                                          Adult fiction.






Charlotte and Sally are the grown daughters of Joan and their now deceased stepfather, Whit. Whit's family also includes two grown sons, Perry and Spin. While the boys have attended the exclusive prep school near "Lakeside" and will inherit all the family money and property, the girls and their mother are allowed to live there. Then, in one memorable summer, Spin brings his fiancé, the beautiful Laurel, to meet them all and life is changed forever.


The faded glory of the house and grounds, the attempts to keep everyone "nice", and the slow reveals of resentments and rivalries tie ribbons around all the characters and events of this drama. Charlotte narrates, but she rarely leaves the house. Her "mommy blog" is totally fiction, but earns money from a diaper company. Sally, musically gifted, suffers from mental problems. Others have equally interesting backgrounds. 


My over riding take on this blended family tale is that everyone should have a will. This is sort of like what the "We Were Liars" characters might have been like as adults. Put this one in the beach bag and enjoy.