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Hello From The Gillespies
For the past thirty-three years, Angela Gillespie has sent to friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled "Hello from the Gillespies." It's always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself--she tells the truth....The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping badly with retirement. Her thirty-two-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can't stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones.Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when Angela is taken away from them in a most unexpected manner, the Gillespies pull together--and pull themselves together--in wonderfully surprising ways...From the bestselling author of The House of Memories comes a funny and heartfelt novel about miscommunication and mayhem in a family like no other.READERS GUIDE INCLUDED
516 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
172 people are currently reading
7356 people want to read
About the author
Monica McInerney
44 books1,115 followerswww.monicamcinerney.com
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Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
facebook.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
instagram.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 896 reviews
December 10, 2014
On the first of December for the past thirty three years Angela Gillespies sits down to write her annual Christmas letter. Looking back over her diary, she recalls the main events that happened throughout the year. Angela includes things her husband and their four children did during the year and usually includes a few photos. As families grew and more friendships were made so did the mailing list. Angela now sends out one hundred copies of her letter to friends and family worldwide.
Normally Angela's letters would be full of good things and times that were had by all her family during the year, but this year Angela couldn't find anything positive or good to write about, so she decided to write the truth and once she started she couldn't stop. Angela wrote about how she was worried about each of her children and the decisions they were making and how it was impacting on their lives. She wrote about her husband, Nick, who she was also worried about especially after he had leased out half of the sheep station to a mining company and never talked to her about it in advance. She was also concerned about how, Nick didn't talk much anymore and it was like he was shutting himself off from the world and spent most of his time on the computer. Angela knew she wouldn't send this letter off to friends and family, but in the next moment, Angela attends to an unexpected family crisis and in her absence the letter is accidentally sent out. What will everyone's reaction be to the letter and could this tear Angela's family apart?
I really enjoyed this story by Monica McInerney. An easy and entertaining read about family, love and friendship and so much more. Recommended.
Normally Angela's letters would be full of good things and times that were had by all her family during the year, but this year Angela couldn't find anything positive or good to write about, so she decided to write the truth and once she started she couldn't stop. Angela wrote about how she was worried about each of her children and the decisions they were making and how it was impacting on their lives. She wrote about her husband, Nick, who she was also worried about especially after he had leased out half of the sheep station to a mining company and never talked to her about it in advance. She was also concerned about how, Nick didn't talk much anymore and it was like he was shutting himself off from the world and spent most of his time on the computer. Angela knew she wouldn't send this letter off to friends and family, but in the next moment, Angela attends to an unexpected family crisis and in her absence the letter is accidentally sent out. What will everyone's reaction be to the letter and could this tear Angela's family apart?
I really enjoyed this story by Monica McInerney. An easy and entertaining read about family, love and friendship and so much more. Recommended.
May 7, 2015
Hard to rate this one because although I loved the main story and raced to the end to find out what was going to happen I felt that about 50% of the book consisted of extraneous matter. I wanted an old fashioned Editor with a very sharp red pencil to unleash their talents on it! I found all three of Angela's daughters immature - they were all around 30 years old for goodness sake and they behaved like teenagers. I kept wondering why not even one of them was married yet and why everyone thought it was okay for three grown women to all lose their jobs and return home simultaneously to mummy. So of course i was not interested in their lives or love affairs. I guess that accounts for the 50% I wanted removed.
However I loved Angela, Joan and Ig. I coped with Nick even though he was a bit of a non event. And I was totally gripped by the story and reduced to tears several times towards the end. How to rate that? Four stars? Three stars? I am feeling generous and I did read all 515 pages in 2 days, so four it is.
However I loved Angela, Joan and Ig. I coped with Nick even though he was a bit of a non event. And I was totally gripped by the story and reduced to tears several times towards the end. How to rate that? Four stars? Three stars? I am feeling generous and I did read all 515 pages in 2 days, so four it is.
June 3, 2015
Four and a half stars
Monica McInerney did what she has always done , she sucked me right into this novel from the opening page when Angela sat down to write her annual Christmas letter. This time though, it ends up not being the usual chatty letter.
Monica McInerney immediately drew me into the lives of this family with Angela, Nick, their three daughters and much younger son, Ig. I found all three girls annoying as characters. I say girls, because though they are all around 30 they behave much younger and are more often than not self-absorbed. I loved Angela, even though I found her fantasy life that she weaves, hard to comprehend. Nick, is a bit like many Aussie men, keeping too much to himself. Joan is the type of loyal, supportive friend anyone would love to have. She talks a lot of sense, especially when it comes to marriage and not keeping count of ‘who said sorry first.’
The other character I loved was the Australian landscape. This passage shows Angela sitting in the chapel on their property. ‘She’d hear the wind slinking through the leaves of the gum trees. The galahs with their squawks, like scratches down a blackboard, a sound to make you wince but one she’d grown to love. If she sat very still, she’d hear more. Lizards skittering across the stone wall beside her. The distant rusty grind of the windmill sails. Sometimes, rarely, the sound of a car on the dirt road, tyres on loose gravel. Eventually, the stiller she became, she would hear her own breathing, slow breaths in , slow breaths out... What a wonderful description that makes you feel you are there with Angela hearing and seeing it all. Later, the incident with Angela, Ig and the huntsman , had me shuddering as I read it.
This book had me laughing and in tears at times, especially from about half way through. The story is warm and heartfelt, showing the selflessness of the characters and also their selfishness. The characters are very real. I wasn’t as interested in the lives of the three girls but they are essential to the story. Monica McInerney writes family stories so well, you fall in love with them. She gets to the heart of what family is all about.
Monica McInerney did what she has always done , she sucked me right into this novel from the opening page when Angela sat down to write her annual Christmas letter. This time though, it ends up not being the usual chatty letter.
Monica McInerney immediately drew me into the lives of this family with Angela, Nick, their three daughters and much younger son, Ig. I found all three girls annoying as characters. I say girls, because though they are all around 30 they behave much younger and are more often than not self-absorbed. I loved Angela, even though I found her fantasy life that she weaves, hard to comprehend. Nick, is a bit like many Aussie men, keeping too much to himself. Joan is the type of loyal, supportive friend anyone would love to have. She talks a lot of sense, especially when it comes to marriage and not keeping count of ‘who said sorry first.’
The other character I loved was the Australian landscape. This passage shows Angela sitting in the chapel on their property. ‘She’d hear the wind slinking through the leaves of the gum trees. The galahs with their squawks, like scratches down a blackboard, a sound to make you wince but one she’d grown to love. If she sat very still, she’d hear more. Lizards skittering across the stone wall beside her. The distant rusty grind of the windmill sails. Sometimes, rarely, the sound of a car on the dirt road, tyres on loose gravel. Eventually, the stiller she became, she would hear her own breathing, slow breaths in , slow breaths out... What a wonderful description that makes you feel you are there with Angela hearing and seeing it all. Later, the incident with Angela, Ig and the huntsman , had me shuddering as I read it.
This book had me laughing and in tears at times, especially from about half way through. The story is warm and heartfelt, showing the selflessness of the characters and also their selfishness. The characters are very real. I wasn’t as interested in the lives of the three girls but they are essential to the story. Monica McInerney writes family stories so well, you fall in love with them. She gets to the heart of what family is all about.
February 12, 2015
Every year since Angela, a young English backpacker, married handsome station owner Nick Gillespie, she has sat down on 1st December to write her Christmas letter. You know the sort - full of good, cheerful news of the families doings and achievements with a couple of photos. But this year is different. She worries that her marriage is falling apart as Nick seems disinterested and they don't talk much anymore. She's also worried about her children Lindy who has come scurrying back home in debt and without a job, 10y old Ig who keeps running away from boarding school and has an imaginery friend and her twins Veronica and Genevieve, out in the world but perhaps not choosing the wisest jobs and boyfriends. So this year Angela tells the truth in her letter, spelling out all her concerns about the family. She was never really going to send it but somehow writing about her worries is cathartic. However, when it is accidently emailed to over a hundred people, suddenly all their friends, neighbors and relatives know all about the Gillespies and their woes.
This is a very enjoyable story about a family that has been very close while the children were growing up but is now struggling to come to terms with changes in their lives. Nick is typical of the many farmers and station owners who have been struggling financially through drought and have to make difficult decisions to avoid debt. His inability to talk to his wife has only made matters worse for him and like many in his situation he is suffering from depression. Angela is also a typical middle aged mother who continues to run around looking after everyone, cooking and cleaning and managing crises, even though she has three grown up daughters back home for Christmas who could give her a hand. When she suddenly becomes ill and suffers memory loss, it's fun to watch her family suddenly scrabbling around to manage without her.
Although the novel deals with these very real issues it is a very entertaining, often humorous read. The daughters jobs and love lives add some romance (and disappointments) to the novel. Nick's new hobby of tracing his family tree will resonate with many whose families emigrated to a new country. Ig is a delightful child who is happiest at home with his family and helps Angela through her illness in an uncomplicated way as only a child can. The characters are wonderfully real with each member of the family having a strong, clear personality. Angela's friend Joan reminds me of the many wonderful country women I have met who are all so generous with their help and time and Celia, Nick's aunt is a delightfully crabby old lady.
This is a very enjoyable story about a family that has been very close while the children were growing up but is now struggling to come to terms with changes in their lives. Nick is typical of the many farmers and station owners who have been struggling financially through drought and have to make difficult decisions to avoid debt. His inability to talk to his wife has only made matters worse for him and like many in his situation he is suffering from depression. Angela is also a typical middle aged mother who continues to run around looking after everyone, cooking and cleaning and managing crises, even though she has three grown up daughters back home for Christmas who could give her a hand. When she suddenly becomes ill and suffers memory loss, it's fun to watch her family suddenly scrabbling around to manage without her.
Although the novel deals with these very real issues it is a very entertaining, often humorous read. The daughters jobs and love lives add some romance (and disappointments) to the novel. Nick's new hobby of tracing his family tree will resonate with many whose families emigrated to a new country. Ig is a delightful child who is happiest at home with his family and helps Angela through her illness in an uncomplicated way as only a child can. The characters are wonderfully real with each member of the family having a strong, clear personality. Angela's friend Joan reminds me of the many wonderful country women I have met who are all so generous with their help and time and Celia, Nick's aunt is a delightfully crabby old lady.
October 28, 2014
This is a fantastic read set on an Australian outback sheep station. On 1st December every year Angela Gillespie sends out a newsletter email to everyone on her mailing list, keeping them up to date with the lives of her family. This year though, she can’t find anything positive to write about. Her husband Nick has become very distant, always on the computer arranging a large Gillespie family reunion. They don’t share anything any more, barely speaking to each other and she doesn’t know what went wrong. Their 10 year old son Ig hasn’t settled to boarding school and has invented an imaginary friend. Daughter Lindy has returned home in debt and unable to settle to any career. Their twins, Victoria and Genevieve also cause her concern with their love lives and lifestyles. Uninspired she actually starts writing down everything that is bothering her about her family. She really pours her heart out about them all and about how she feels about them and her life in general. She cannot help wondering what her life would have been like if she had chosen another path. Even Nick’s Aunt Celia gets a mention as she pours her frustrations out, never intending the email to be sent.
By a strange quirk of fate however, that email is sent and the repercussions when her family find out what she really thinks about them are going to be huge. It is a really compelling read, packed with drama with a bunch of characters who are extremely realistic. They are all nice people but they all have their faults and the author has really portrayed them well. I especially enjoyed reading about Lindy. Half the time I felt sorry for her, and could understand how isolated she felt amongst her family – she was the only one who had nobody of her own because after all, even Ig has his imaginary friend. A lot of the time though, I really wanted to smack her and tell her to grow a backbone and stop being so needy and selfish.
It is a big story about an ordinary family, one that is quietly funny at times, but extremely dramatic at others. I totally got caught up in reading about them and loved every page. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
By a strange quirk of fate however, that email is sent and the repercussions when her family find out what she really thinks about them are going to be huge. It is a really compelling read, packed with drama with a bunch of characters who are extremely realistic. They are all nice people but they all have their faults and the author has really portrayed them well. I especially enjoyed reading about Lindy. Half the time I felt sorry for her, and could understand how isolated she felt amongst her family – she was the only one who had nobody of her own because after all, even Ig has his imaginary friend. A lot of the time though, I really wanted to smack her and tell her to grow a backbone and stop being so needy and selfish.
It is a big story about an ordinary family, one that is quietly funny at times, but extremely dramatic at others. I totally got caught up in reading about them and loved every page. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
November 12, 2014
Hello from the Gillespies is a wonderfully engaging story about an Australian ranching family that has been rocked by some hard times of late. The mother, Angela, is one of those who every year sends out the familiar Christmastime email letter, full of little white lies to make everything sound like it's grand. This year she is simply not in the mood for it, however, so plays at composing a truthful letter, telling about her daughters' affairs and career failures, the weirdness of her son, the precariousness of her marriage, etc., with no intention of actually sending it. Somehow it gets sent and everyone thinks it is her best letter ever. That is, except for those mentioned in the letter; and there is some explaining to do. Then there is an accident and the family needs to pull together to surmount the consequences.
Writing about such family dynamics with a light humorous tone reminded me of Dorothea Benton Frank's Low Country tales--there's the middle-aged mother, an old bitty for a matriarch, a gorgeous husband whose behavior is suspect, and the adult children who all come back home to live on the sprawling estate. I feared it might be formulaic, but then the originality of the plot made such thoughts vanish. My interest in this fascinating family never waned. The characters gradually become fully formed, flaws and all; and the Aussie setting makes for an outstanding read.
From NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Writing about such family dynamics with a light humorous tone reminded me of Dorothea Benton Frank's Low Country tales--there's the middle-aged mother, an old bitty for a matriarch, a gorgeous husband whose behavior is suspect, and the adult children who all come back home to live on the sprawling estate. I feared it might be formulaic, but then the originality of the plot made such thoughts vanish. My interest in this fascinating family never waned. The characters gradually become fully formed, flaws and all; and the Aussie setting makes for an outstanding read.
From NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2014
I bet we've all received one of those Christmas letters that makes the writer's life and family sound disgustingly perfect. The main character of this book, Angela Gillespie, has been writing them for 33 years, but this year she lets off steam. Instead of the usual picture-perfect image, she tells it like it is, complete with worries about all four of her children, her fears for her marriage, and her imaginings on what her life might have been like if she'd married someone else entirely.
She never means to send it, but of course fate intervenes and the damning email gets circulated to all the usual recipients. The whole family starts falling apart, and just when it seems things couldn't possibly get worse -- of course, they do.
The relationships between the characters are well done and feel very natural, although the three adult daughters act a lot more like teenagers than supposedly mature women. But their different problems and stories are all interesting, and once the tables are turned and they have to help Angela instead of the other way around they manage to pull together and create a happy ending for everybody.
An enjoyable read, and nice to have a woman in her fifties as the protagonist for a change. Young love is all very well, but it's not the only flavour around.
She never means to send it, but of course fate intervenes and the damning email gets circulated to all the usual recipients. The whole family starts falling apart, and just when it seems things couldn't possibly get worse -- of course, they do.
The relationships between the characters are well done and feel very natural, although the three adult daughters act a lot more like teenagers than supposedly mature women. But their different problems and stories are all interesting, and once the tables are turned and they have to help Angela instead of the other way around they manage to pull together and create a happy ending for everybody.
An enjoyable read, and nice to have a woman in her fifties as the protagonist for a change. Young love is all very well, but it's not the only flavour around.
March 26, 2015
2.5 STARS
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
"For the past thirty-three years, Angela Gillespie has sent to friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled “Hello from the Gillespies.” It’s always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself—she tells the truth....
The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping badly with retirement. Her thirty-two-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can’t stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones.
Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when a bump on the head leaves Angela with temporary amnesia, the Gillespies pull together—and pull themselves together—in wonderfully surprising ways...." (From Amazon)
I found that this book dragged too much to really enjoy. The characters were realistic but they tended to whine a bit too much.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
"For the past thirty-three years, Angela Gillespie has sent to friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled “Hello from the Gillespies.” It’s always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself—she tells the truth....
The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping badly with retirement. Her thirty-two-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can’t stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones.
Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when a bump on the head leaves Angela with temporary amnesia, the Gillespies pull together—and pull themselves together—in wonderfully surprising ways...." (From Amazon)
I found that this book dragged too much to really enjoy. The characters were realistic but they tended to whine a bit too much.
September 19, 2014
From an ARC kindly provided by TheReadingRoom and Penguin.
Hello From The Gillespies is the 10th full-length novel by Australian author, Monica McInerney. The annual Christmas Letter: who hasn’t ever received one (or perhaps sent one themselves)? Angela Gillespie has been religiously sending one out every December 1st for 33 years. She regards her Christmas Letters as Historical Documents, a concept that is bears some merit. But for the Gillespies, this year has been (to borrow a famously royal term) an “annus horribilis”. A combination of factors (a five-month long headache, the impending return home of her twin daughters, the threatened stay of interfering Aunt Celia, the imminent hosting of two hundred neighbours for the district annual Woolshed party, the preamble to Christmas) coupled with an emergency trip to hospital to reunite her young son with his finger, mean that the version of Angela’s letter that is accidentally sent to one hundred email recipients is not her usual upbeat missive, but a searingly honest account of her family’s year. It is a letter that details the state of disarray of the lives of her four children, her worries about her husband and her doubts about her marriage, her opinion of her husband’s aunt, her frustrated pottery ambitions, her thoughts on the life she might have led.
McInerney gives the reader an original plot with a few twists, some of which are predictable, but this does not detract from the reading pleasure. Her characters are familiar and easily recognisable. Even the nasty ones are people we have all run into: many of us have an Aunt Celia or a Horrible Jane somewhere in our lives. And don’t we all wish we had a good friend like Joan? The dialogue is completely natural and McInerney conjures the feel of the dusty outback in all its moods with consummate ease. The story manages to touch on a myriad of topics: mining leases in rural lands; celebrity gossip; succession plans for farming families; celebrity scandals; novelty websites; internet scams; depression in country males; diversification of activities for extra income; family reunions; genealogy; the bond between twins; imaginary friends and fantasy lives. The pieces on amnesia and confabulation are interesting and informative.
Readers will find themselves constantly chuckling, often laughing out loud but occasionally also moved to tears or with a large lump in the throat. Reading this book in a public place may garner some funny looks. Fans of McInerney’s work know that stories about families are her strength; they will once again be delighted with this entertaining and heart-warming tale.
Hello From The Gillespies is the 10th full-length novel by Australian author, Monica McInerney. The annual Christmas Letter: who hasn’t ever received one (or perhaps sent one themselves)? Angela Gillespie has been religiously sending one out every December 1st for 33 years. She regards her Christmas Letters as Historical Documents, a concept that is bears some merit. But for the Gillespies, this year has been (to borrow a famously royal term) an “annus horribilis”. A combination of factors (a five-month long headache, the impending return home of her twin daughters, the threatened stay of interfering Aunt Celia, the imminent hosting of two hundred neighbours for the district annual Woolshed party, the preamble to Christmas) coupled with an emergency trip to hospital to reunite her young son with his finger, mean that the version of Angela’s letter that is accidentally sent to one hundred email recipients is not her usual upbeat missive, but a searingly honest account of her family’s year. It is a letter that details the state of disarray of the lives of her four children, her worries about her husband and her doubts about her marriage, her opinion of her husband’s aunt, her frustrated pottery ambitions, her thoughts on the life she might have led.
McInerney gives the reader an original plot with a few twists, some of which are predictable, but this does not detract from the reading pleasure. Her characters are familiar and easily recognisable. Even the nasty ones are people we have all run into: many of us have an Aunt Celia or a Horrible Jane somewhere in our lives. And don’t we all wish we had a good friend like Joan? The dialogue is completely natural and McInerney conjures the feel of the dusty outback in all its moods with consummate ease. The story manages to touch on a myriad of topics: mining leases in rural lands; celebrity gossip; succession plans for farming families; celebrity scandals; novelty websites; internet scams; depression in country males; diversification of activities for extra income; family reunions; genealogy; the bond between twins; imaginary friends and fantasy lives. The pieces on amnesia and confabulation are interesting and informative.
Readers will find themselves constantly chuckling, often laughing out loud but occasionally also moved to tears or with a large lump in the throat. Reading this book in a public place may garner some funny looks. Fans of McInerney’s work know that stories about families are her strength; they will once again be delighted with this entertaining and heart-warming tale.
January 14, 2022
Hello From The Gillespies is the 10th full-length novel by Australian author, Monica McInerney. The audio version is narrated by Ulli Birve. The annual Christmas Letter: who hasn’t ever received one (or perhaps sent one themselves)? Angela Gillespie has been religiously sending one out every December 1st for 33 years. She regards her Christmas Letters as Historical Documents, a concept that is bears some merit.
But for the Gillespies, this year has been (to borrow a famously royal term) an “annus horribilis”. A combination of factors (a five-month long headache, the impending return home of her twin daughters, the threatened stay of interfering Aunt Celia, the imminent hosting of two hundred neighbours for the district annual Woolshed party, the preamble to Christmas) coupled with an emergency trip to hospital to reunite her young son with his finger, mean that the version of Angela’s letter that is accidentally sent to one hundred email recipients is not her usual upbeat missive, but a searingly honest account of her family’s year. It is a letter that details the state of disarray of the lives of her four children, her worries about her husband and her doubts about her marriage, her opinion of her husband’s aunt, her frustrated pottery ambitions, her thoughts on the life she might have led.
McInerney gives the reader an original plot with a few twists, some of which are predictable, but this does not detract from the reading pleasure. Her characters are familiar and easily recognisable. Even the nasty ones are people we have all run into: many of us have an Aunt Celia or a Horrible Jane somewhere in our lives. And don’t we all wish we had a good friend like Joan? The dialogue is completely natural and McInerney conjures the feel of the dusty outback in all its moods with consummate ease.
The story manages to touch on a myriad of topics: mining leases in rural lands; celebrity gossip; succession plans for farming families; celebrity scandals; novelty websites; internet scams; depression in country males; diversification of activities for extra income; family reunions; genealogy; the bond between twins; imaginary friends and fantasy lives. The pieces on amnesia and confabulation are interesting and informative.
Readers will find themselves constantly chuckling, often laughing out loud but occasionally also moved to tears or with a large lump in the throat. Reading this book in a public place may garner some funny looks. Fans of McInerney’s work know that stories about families are her strength; they will once again be delighted with this entertaining and heart-warming tale.
But for the Gillespies, this year has been (to borrow a famously royal term) an “annus horribilis”. A combination of factors (a five-month long headache, the impending return home of her twin daughters, the threatened stay of interfering Aunt Celia, the imminent hosting of two hundred neighbours for the district annual Woolshed party, the preamble to Christmas) coupled with an emergency trip to hospital to reunite her young son with his finger, mean that the version of Angela’s letter that is accidentally sent to one hundred email recipients is not her usual upbeat missive, but a searingly honest account of her family’s year. It is a letter that details the state of disarray of the lives of her four children, her worries about her husband and her doubts about her marriage, her opinion of her husband’s aunt, her frustrated pottery ambitions, her thoughts on the life she might have led.
McInerney gives the reader an original plot with a few twists, some of which are predictable, but this does not detract from the reading pleasure. Her characters are familiar and easily recognisable. Even the nasty ones are people we have all run into: many of us have an Aunt Celia or a Horrible Jane somewhere in our lives. And don’t we all wish we had a good friend like Joan? The dialogue is completely natural and McInerney conjures the feel of the dusty outback in all its moods with consummate ease.
The story manages to touch on a myriad of topics: mining leases in rural lands; celebrity gossip; succession plans for farming families; celebrity scandals; novelty websites; internet scams; depression in country males; diversification of activities for extra income; family reunions; genealogy; the bond between twins; imaginary friends and fantasy lives. The pieces on amnesia and confabulation are interesting and informative.
Readers will find themselves constantly chuckling, often laughing out loud but occasionally also moved to tears or with a large lump in the throat. Reading this book in a public place may garner some funny looks. Fans of McInerney’s work know that stories about families are her strength; they will once again be delighted with this entertaining and heart-warming tale.
May 25, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book with all it's really cringe worthy moments...and I did cringe often! Especially in the early stages of the story, I kept thinking, O-M-G that can't be about to happen...how are they ever going to fix this??!!!
This was a very big book for the amount of actual story involved, and although it didn't take anything away from the story, I thought at times it was going into a bit too much detail and making it a lot more lengthy than necessary.
That said, it didn't put me off in any way, it just made it difficult to hold such a hefty tome for any great length of time.
The book centres around the mother, Angela Gillespie, and her annual Christmas letter which she sends out by email at the stroke of midnight on the 1st of December every year, and has done for the last thirty three years without fail.
Mostly the letter is positive and documents the growth of the family and the trials and tribulations of life on a huge cattle property in outback Australia.
This year however is different, things have shifted a bit due to economic factors, and Angela's husband Nick has been forced into making some hard decisions.
Angela hasn't really realised until now just what toll this has taken on her and her husband, now she is struggling to know just what to write in this year's Christmas letter... and she only has a little time left to write it.
The story details the lives of all of the immediate Gillespie family members in their current positions...as well as dispositions, and does a good job of involving the reader in the everyday lives of these people. Each one was fascinating in their own way and if you don't know what it is like to grow up in a household with siblings and sometimes extended family members, then this story gives the reader some pretty good insight into the dynamics involved.
This is a good holiday read, something that is entertaining without being too emotionally taxing...though, as I mentioned, there were times when I would cringe and almost felt the extreme humiliation of the particular individuals as they were exposed to the limelight...kudos to the author for her ability to project that emotion onto the reader.
A good family saga which I would have no problem recommending as such.
4★s
November 22, 2014
I don’t think I’ve read a Monica McInerney that I haven’t enjoyed - they are easy reads, that keep the story flowing easily. Having said that, this was not as good as the last one I read of hers - The House of Memories - and I am in two minds about it.
On the one hand, I liked the premise of the story, and the twist that happened about half way through. I also liked the setting - mostly on a rural South Australia station that used to run sheep but is now experiencing a bit of a slump, partly due to the drought and partly due to other factors. What I felt didn’t really ring true was some of the characters. I know I’ve read a couple of other reviews along these lines and have to agree that the supposedly grown-up children in the story generally seem quite immature. They’ve all moved back into the family home, which is fine, but the youngest, Lindy, who is about 28 years old, seems terribly needy, always seeking approval from her parents for the littlest thing, and I admit she rather got on my nerves. The others, twins, just over 30 years old, were a little better, but they had their moments as well, often seeming to be depending on their mother to wait on them hand and foot. I found it unlikely that 3 young women who had lived out of home would be quite so dependent on their parents if they moved back home.
Things improved half way through, when the three girls were obliged to step up and pitch in more than they had been previously, but there was still some very immature behaviour that just made the characters seem less believable, in my opinion.
Still, it was a fun read and I will happily read the next Monica McInerney published! 3.5 stars for this one.
On the one hand, I liked the premise of the story, and the twist that happened about half way through. I also liked the setting - mostly on a rural South Australia station that used to run sheep but is now experiencing a bit of a slump, partly due to the drought and partly due to other factors. What I felt didn’t really ring true was some of the characters. I know I’ve read a couple of other reviews along these lines and have to agree that the supposedly grown-up children in the story generally seem quite immature. They’ve all moved back into the family home, which is fine, but the youngest, Lindy, who is about 28 years old, seems terribly needy, always seeking approval from her parents for the littlest thing, and I admit she rather got on my nerves. The others, twins, just over 30 years old, were a little better, but they had their moments as well, often seeming to be depending on their mother to wait on them hand and foot. I found it unlikely that 3 young women who had lived out of home would be quite so dependent on their parents if they moved back home.
Things improved half way through, when the three girls were obliged to step up and pitch in more than they had been previously, but there was still some very immature behaviour that just made the characters seem less believable, in my opinion.
Still, it was a fun read and I will happily read the next Monica McInerney published! 3.5 stars for this one.
November 29, 2014
Well written story of a family in crisis. Loved the setting of the Australian outback and the way the family pulled together in the end. A good story but a little to much drama for me.
ARC from Natgalley.
ARC from Natgalley.
October 1, 2014
Australian-born but Dublin-based Monica McInerney is an internationally best selling author of novels that explore the joys and challenges of family and relationships. Hello from the Gillespies is her tenth novel, following on from her most recent successes, The House of Memories and Lola's Secret.
For thirty three years, Angela Gillespie has sent a lighthearted letter on December 1st, updating family and friends on the lives of the Gillespies, who live on a large sheep station in outback South Australia, but this time when she sits down to write her annual missive she forgoes the usual niceties and vents her doubts about her marriage, her concerns about their financial affairs, her worries about her children, her frustrations with an interfering aunt and wonders, what could have been. The letter was never meant to be sent but Angela is interrupted by an emergency (her youngest son accidentally amputating the tip of a finger) and her husband, who hasn't bothered to read the letters in years, thinks he is being helpful when he presses send.
Hello from the Gillespies offers a warm hearted, funny and sometimes poignant glimpse into family life. When Angela's letter makes all their secrets public, the fall out for the family, which includes her husband Nick, their adult daughters Genevieve, Victoria and Lindy and ten year old son Ig, is mixed. As they struggle to come to grips with the truths laid bare, an unexpected twist in the tale challenges the very foundation of the Gillespie family.
McIereny's characters are appealing and believable. As a wife and mother, I identified with Angela's frustrations and concerns. It is a rare woman I suspect who hasn't at least once wondered 'what if?' Perhaps my only niggle is that I felt the adult daughters behaved in ways more appropriate for twenty something rather than thirty something year old's (I don't have a lot of patience for the adultescent trend). However, the situations the characters find themselves in ring true, albeit slightly exaggerated, as do the dynamics between the family members.
Despite its length, the story had no trouble keeping my attention with several twists to the plot keeping it interesting, though the conclusion was predictable. The writing is accessible with natural dialogue. The settings, which includes the Gillespie station and brief glimpses of Ireland, London, New York and Adelaide, are authentically portrayed.
A heartfelt, witty and perceptive story about family, friendship and love, Hello from the Gillespies is an entertaining and charming read.
January 7, 2015
Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars.
How many of us have written or received those Christmas letters than summarize the year in the life of....(fill in the family) Well Angela Gillespie has done her duty and sent one every year, full of fluff and perhaps half truths. This year, she writes what she really thinks, (how many of us would love to do that!)......and thru a domino effect of errors, it accidentally gets sent. This is the jumping off point for this story.
The writing was well done, and the story was entertaining if not a bit to melodramatic for me....a little like a soap opera. My favorite characters were the setting.....a station in the Australian outback, and a strange young man (Ig) who viewed the world through a unique lens. McInerney's details of the isolated life on a station was so well done, I wanted to book one of Angela's tours. She captured the sense of hard work, family and neighbors as well as the struggles and loneliness that must be there all the time. I had a hard time with the three daughters....they all seemed a bit shallow and immature for me, especially at the beginning. I did get a kick out of Aunt Celia and pictured Maggie Smith when reading about her!
The premise is that Angela loses her sense of who she is and what is really important in her life. Most of the other characters have lost this as well, or never found it to begin with.....but Angela really does lose herself. (no spoilers) The family all return home to help her find herself again, and in turn they discover their selves as well.....and live happily ever after.
As I said, maybe a bit too much drama....too many monkey wrenches thrown in, but overall this was an entertaining, fun read....some dry humor which is always appreciated.
How many of us have written or received those Christmas letters than summarize the year in the life of....(fill in the family) Well Angela Gillespie has done her duty and sent one every year, full of fluff and perhaps half truths. This year, she writes what she really thinks, (how many of us would love to do that!)......and thru a domino effect of errors, it accidentally gets sent. This is the jumping off point for this story.
The writing was well done, and the story was entertaining if not a bit to melodramatic for me....a little like a soap opera. My favorite characters were the setting.....a station in the Australian outback, and a strange young man (Ig) who viewed the world through a unique lens. McInerney's details of the isolated life on a station was so well done, I wanted to book one of Angela's tours. She captured the sense of hard work, family and neighbors as well as the struggles and loneliness that must be there all the time. I had a hard time with the three daughters....they all seemed a bit shallow and immature for me, especially at the beginning. I did get a kick out of Aunt Celia and pictured Maggie Smith when reading about her!
The premise is that Angela loses her sense of who she is and what is really important in her life. Most of the other characters have lost this as well, or never found it to begin with.....but Angela really does lose herself. (no spoilers) The family all return home to help her find herself again, and in turn they discover their selves as well.....and live happily ever after.
As I said, maybe a bit too much drama....too many monkey wrenches thrown in, but overall this was an entertaining, fun read....some dry humor which is always appreciated.
December 24, 2014
Reviews claimed this novel was original and hilarious. It was neither. The novel starts with a great premise, but the characters aren't likeable and the plot strains credibility. I couldn't finish it. And be forewarned: it goes on forever.
May 19, 2015
What a wonderfully delightful novel! I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Angela is stressed, she is suffering severe headaches, her 3 daughters are struggling in their personal lives, her young son has been kicked out of boarding school
, her husband's cranky old aunt is staying for a month and her husband has withdrawn from her and she has no idea why. She is STRESSED. So while working on her annual Christmas letter she decides to lay it all out, all of her stress and frustrations, tell it exactly how it is and then delete it. Though, it doesn't' t quite happen that way.
Every family has struggles, but one hopes they are not always displayed to others in such an honest way. I absolutely loved the characters in this novel - yes some were annoying and some make awful decisions, but that is what family is. This was such an enjoyable read, I found myself thinking of the people that inhabited the novel when I wasn't't able to read - always a sign of a 5 star book for me.
I would recommend thus book to anyone that loves a great novel about families and stories that you can lose yourself in. The author does a wonderful job of describing the out back and the characters interactions. I am looking forward to reading more!
Angela is stressed, she is suffering severe headaches, her 3 daughters are struggling in their personal lives, her young son has been kicked out of boarding school
, her husband's cranky old aunt is staying for a month and her husband has withdrawn from her and she has no idea why. She is STRESSED. So while working on her annual Christmas letter she decides to lay it all out, all of her stress and frustrations, tell it exactly how it is and then delete it. Though, it doesn't' t quite happen that way.
Every family has struggles, but one hopes they are not always displayed to others in such an honest way. I absolutely loved the characters in this novel - yes some were annoying and some make awful decisions, but that is what family is. This was such an enjoyable read, I found myself thinking of the people that inhabited the novel when I wasn't't able to read - always a sign of a 5 star book for me.
I would recommend thus book to anyone that loves a great novel about families and stories that you can lose yourself in. The author does a wonderful job of describing the out back and the characters interactions. I am looking forward to reading more!
September 17, 2016
A nice way to wind down summer read. I am still working on sorting my thoughts out on it. I don't really have any strong feelings about this book. I didn't strongly like it nor did I strongly dislike it. It was actually the perfect book that kept me company until 2am when I had a raging bout of insomnia.
The story gently is told about the ill fated Christmas rant letter sent out by Angela Gillespie.. er.. well.. her name was on it but it was never truly meant for others eyes. Instead of cheerily updating their social circle on the Gillepsie family's activities over the year; they are updated on Angela's worries, irritations, woes, and secret desire for escapism. It is a heck of a letter! The letter is not the main focus of the book but more of a catalyst for the family to examine their lives and how they treat each other. This examination becomes all the more important when their lives are rocked by an accident.
The story gently is told about the ill fated Christmas rant letter sent out by Angela Gillespie.. er.. well.. her name was on it but it was never truly meant for others eyes. Instead of cheerily updating their social circle on the Gillepsie family's activities over the year; they are updated on Angela's worries, irritations, woes, and secret desire for escapism. It is a heck of a letter! The letter is not the main focus of the book but more of a catalyst for the family to examine their lives and how they treat each other. This examination becomes all the more important when their lives are rocked by an accident.
December 6, 2018
Monica McInerney’s novels are always such a treasure for me. Hello from the Gillespies is not Monica’s latest release, but we selected it for our November bookclub as a Christmas read. It’s not a Christmas story exactly, but it does open at the beginning of December with Angela Gillespie struggling to write her annual Christmas letter. Christmas themes was enough for us, and I am certainly glad we went with this title. It was fabulous. But Monica always is! Right from the very first page, I was glued to this novel, and it didn’t take me very long to read the 500+ pages.
On the spur of the moment, Angela decides to just write the truth about her family, warts and all, in a kind of mind cleansing, ‘get it all out and I’ll feel better after’ approach. She never intended on the letter actually being sent to the 100 people on her email list, but after a series of distractions and another person deciding they would be extra helpful by sending out what had been left unsent, the letter goes out, in all its truth telling glory. It’s mortifyingly honest and Angela is understandably horrified when she realises it’s all ‘out there’. The fallout from sending such a brutally honest letter is quite interesting, the reactions of Angela’s children, her husband, her extended family and her neighbours; they all differ in their responses and it’s rather thought provoking, and of course, highly entertaining. The letter itself was just gold, although I can understand her children’s horror.
‘You can either laugh about it or kill yourself about it, and you’re my best friend and I don’t want you dead. So we’re going to laugh about it and we’ll get you through this together.’
But there is far more to this novel than the letter, although it does act as a catalyst for all that is to come after. Along with the expected repercussions, there are also a whole lot of benefits from Angela’s honest outpouring. Each of the characters begin to evaluate themselves within the context of where they’re at within their own lives as opposed to their expectations on where they should be. Each are also forced, by circumstances beyond the letter, to consider their role within their family.
‘Was that just what life was like when you were a mother? You were so busy with your children you didn’t have time for your children?’
I really loved this novel with its lively Gillespie family. The dynamic between the siblings was spot on for a large family and despite three of the sisters being adults, they didn’t let that get in the way of being siblings once they, and their little brother Ig (who was a real treasure by the way), all got together. There’s so much to relate to within the pages of this novel: as an individual, as a parent, as a spouse, as a sibling, as an adult child, and as a friend. It has all the feels and you’ll be chuckling away while also dabbing at your eyes. Sometimes the truth really will set you free, even if it does burn in the beginning. I highly recommend you make room in your reading schedule for Hello from the Gillespies this Christmas season.
On the spur of the moment, Angela decides to just write the truth about her family, warts and all, in a kind of mind cleansing, ‘get it all out and I’ll feel better after’ approach. She never intended on the letter actually being sent to the 100 people on her email list, but after a series of distractions and another person deciding they would be extra helpful by sending out what had been left unsent, the letter goes out, in all its truth telling glory. It’s mortifyingly honest and Angela is understandably horrified when she realises it’s all ‘out there’. The fallout from sending such a brutally honest letter is quite interesting, the reactions of Angela’s children, her husband, her extended family and her neighbours; they all differ in their responses and it’s rather thought provoking, and of course, highly entertaining. The letter itself was just gold, although I can understand her children’s horror.
‘You can either laugh about it or kill yourself about it, and you’re my best friend and I don’t want you dead. So we’re going to laugh about it and we’ll get you through this together.’
But there is far more to this novel than the letter, although it does act as a catalyst for all that is to come after. Along with the expected repercussions, there are also a whole lot of benefits from Angela’s honest outpouring. Each of the characters begin to evaluate themselves within the context of where they’re at within their own lives as opposed to their expectations on where they should be. Each are also forced, by circumstances beyond the letter, to consider their role within their family.
‘Was that just what life was like when you were a mother? You were so busy with your children you didn’t have time for your children?’
I really loved this novel with its lively Gillespie family. The dynamic between the siblings was spot on for a large family and despite three of the sisters being adults, they didn’t let that get in the way of being siblings once they, and their little brother Ig (who was a real treasure by the way), all got together. There’s so much to relate to within the pages of this novel: as an individual, as a parent, as a spouse, as a sibling, as an adult child, and as a friend. It has all the feels and you’ll be chuckling away while also dabbing at your eyes. Sometimes the truth really will set you free, even if it does burn in the beginning. I highly recommend you make room in your reading schedule for Hello from the Gillespies this Christmas season.
July 7, 2024
Loved this! Loved all the drama. Beautiful book!
Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Ulli Birve
Duration: 16 hrs, 49 min. 1.25x Speed
Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Ulli Birve
Duration: 16 hrs, 49 min. 1.25x Speed
November 5, 2014
I think we’ve all had the misfortune at some time to receive one of those cheery Christmas missives which inform us what a successful, enviable life their writer has enjoyed over the last year, often appended by photographs of the family looking suitably satisfied with themselves. Angela had written such a missive for each of the thirty-three years of her marriage, proclaiming her love of the Australian outback to those she left behind in England, her blissfully happy marriage and of course information regarding her four children’s equally happy and successful lives, to her neighbours, friends, doctor and a myriad of other recipients from near and far.
All those bright, happy letters, putting the best possible spin on their lives, making it sound as though the Gillespies were the luckiest, loveliest, most successful, well-balanced, supportive family in all Australia, and possibly even the world. She had always skipped over any troubles. Avoided mention of any tensions. Edited out any sticky subjects. It had felt like the right thing to do, even if she knew they sometimes sounded too good to be true.
This year Angela sits down at the family computer and can’t think of a word to say beyond the subject line ‘Hello From The Gillespies’ and instead writes a stream of consciousness about her children’s faults which include the delights of an affair, living a fake life, weight problems, over-dramatic and plain weird. She then moves onto her husband Nick who no longer talks to her, has become obsessed with family research and is planning a trip to meet Gillespies from all over the world in Ireland without her. With these details plus a toe-curling fantasy of another life in London, the path she might have taken if she hadn’t met Nick Gillespie, Angela has to abandon the letter to deal with a medical crisis. Little did she know that Nick having seen the Christmas letter had decided to be helpful and forward it to the 100 people on the distribution list.
At over 600 pages long I did wonder how the author was going to spin the fall-out of the letter laced with truth-serum, but she has cleverly added a twist that keeps the momentum moving and adding more warm-hearted details of a family under all kinds pressure. Monica McInereny manages to avoid the saccharine sweetness by keeping her characters real, especially those of her elder daughters who although pretty immature for their ages (early thirties) all come across as individuals with their own personalities, problems and sometimes novel solutions. The story spans the best part of a year in the life of the Gillespie family and although the ending was somewhat predictable it kept my spirits up as I battled the first virus of the winter season.
I received my copy of Hello From The Gillespies from the publishers Penguin Books (UK) ahead of the publication date of 6 November 2014 in return for this honest review.
All those bright, happy letters, putting the best possible spin on their lives, making it sound as though the Gillespies were the luckiest, loveliest, most successful, well-balanced, supportive family in all Australia, and possibly even the world. She had always skipped over any troubles. Avoided mention of any tensions. Edited out any sticky subjects. It had felt like the right thing to do, even if she knew they sometimes sounded too good to be true.
This year Angela sits down at the family computer and can’t think of a word to say beyond the subject line ‘Hello From The Gillespies’ and instead writes a stream of consciousness about her children’s faults which include the delights of an affair, living a fake life, weight problems, over-dramatic and plain weird. She then moves onto her husband Nick who no longer talks to her, has become obsessed with family research and is planning a trip to meet Gillespies from all over the world in Ireland without her. With these details plus a toe-curling fantasy of another life in London, the path she might have taken if she hadn’t met Nick Gillespie, Angela has to abandon the letter to deal with a medical crisis. Little did she know that Nick having seen the Christmas letter had decided to be helpful and forward it to the 100 people on the distribution list.
At over 600 pages long I did wonder how the author was going to spin the fall-out of the letter laced with truth-serum, but she has cleverly added a twist that keeps the momentum moving and adding more warm-hearted details of a family under all kinds pressure. Monica McInereny manages to avoid the saccharine sweetness by keeping her characters real, especially those of her elder daughters who although pretty immature for their ages (early thirties) all come across as individuals with their own personalities, problems and sometimes novel solutions. The story spans the best part of a year in the life of the Gillespie family and although the ending was somewhat predictable it kept my spirits up as I battled the first virus of the winter season.
I received my copy of Hello From The Gillespies from the publishers Penguin Books (UK) ahead of the publication date of 6 November 2014 in return for this honest review.
October 6, 2015
This story was not about what I expected it to be about. The blurb makes it sound as though you will read about the Christmas letter and the repercussions of the letter. Not so much. This is a story about a family and all the love and frustration that comes with having a family.
In some ways this was a wonderful family story and some of it rang very true in a realistic way. For example, the mom loves her family, but she worries about them and is frustrated and stressed by them as well. I loved that realistic aspect to the story.
However...there were also many unrealistic parts. The three daughters are late twenties and early thirties. They all sound like teenagers. I get very frustrated with stories when they make adults sound too young or immature. Part of this may be that I've been a responsible adult living on my own since I was 18. I don't understand being 32 and whining at your parents or siblings or still not having direction in your life and needing others to help you focus. I just want to shout at them to grow up. I kept forgetting that there was such a big age-difference between the sisters and the 10-year old brother.
Also, a lot of the story was too coincidental: everyone grows, things just seem to work out for people, and relationships fall into place. It was a bit to neatly wrapped up for my taste. It felt that most everything turned out as you expected it to with no big surprises.
The story was also a bit long-winded. I felt that it could be shorter, as there were so many little side stories that were unnecessary and didn't really add to the story. Oddly enough, it was these little side stories that also made the story feel a bit realistic. I don't want to give up any spoilers, but things happen in the story that do not move the story along, but also feel like that's the way life is sometimes. Unfortunately, life is not always that interesting either, so I think that cleaning it up a little and shaving some pages off may have helped with the pace of the story a little.
I think this was a good story and worth the read. It's an interesting family story and for those that love slower-paced books, this may be just the right story for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy for review.
In some ways this was a wonderful family story and some of it rang very true in a realistic way. For example, the mom loves her family, but she worries about them and is frustrated and stressed by them as well. I loved that realistic aspect to the story.
However...there were also many unrealistic parts. The three daughters are late twenties and early thirties. They all sound like teenagers. I get very frustrated with stories when they make adults sound too young or immature. Part of this may be that I've been a responsible adult living on my own since I was 18. I don't understand being 32 and whining at your parents or siblings or still not having direction in your life and needing others to help you focus. I just want to shout at them to grow up. I kept forgetting that there was such a big age-difference between the sisters and the 10-year old brother.
Also, a lot of the story was too coincidental: everyone grows, things just seem to work out for people, and relationships fall into place. It was a bit to neatly wrapped up for my taste. It felt that most everything turned out as you expected it to with no big surprises.
The story was also a bit long-winded. I felt that it could be shorter, as there were so many little side stories that were unnecessary and didn't really add to the story. Oddly enough, it was these little side stories that also made the story feel a bit realistic. I don't want to give up any spoilers, but things happen in the story that do not move the story along, but also feel like that's the way life is sometimes. Unfortunately, life is not always that interesting either, so I think that cleaning it up a little and shaving some pages off may have helped with the pace of the story a little.
I think this was a good story and worth the read. It's an interesting family story and for those that love slower-paced books, this may be just the right story for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy for review.
November 18, 2014
A sentimental story on the power of family, pulling together when they fall and rise. It's about accepting the honest truth without placing blame on others, it's about family - remaining united no matter the circumstances. Miscommunication, truth plays a large part as well. Great themes which made the story whimsically delightful.
I liked the Gillespies but they didn't wow me. They're a sweet clan but McInerney didn't expand on them individually, you were privy to a snippet of who they are lacking depth. Pleasant, possessing a contrived feeling, I did enjoy the fact they were 'normal' and not over the top 'Jerry Springer-esque.' I liked Angela, I'm sure the average woman can understand her feelings and of course her 'stream of consciousness' along with her 'fantasy life.'
McInerney's writing certainly snags the reader's attention, the book is long but it moves quickly and feels shorter in pages. I applaud the manner in which McInerney presented the family along with numerous themes, a gentler method than the harsher dysfunctional family's so commonly demonstrated. A sweet story, although a bit manufactured for my taste with wonderful themes. A story many will enjoy and relate to in many ways.
I liked the Gillespies but they didn't wow me. They're a sweet clan but McInerney didn't expand on them individually, you were privy to a snippet of who they are lacking depth. Pleasant, possessing a contrived feeling, I did enjoy the fact they were 'normal' and not over the top 'Jerry Springer-esque.' I liked Angela, I'm sure the average woman can understand her feelings and of course her 'stream of consciousness' along with her 'fantasy life.'
McInerney's writing certainly snags the reader's attention, the book is long but it moves quickly and feels shorter in pages. I applaud the manner in which McInerney presented the family along with numerous themes, a gentler method than the harsher dysfunctional family's so commonly demonstrated. A sweet story, although a bit manufactured for my taste with wonderful themes. A story many will enjoy and relate to in many ways.
June 23, 2016
Well, I don't know that there is much point in adding another positive review to the already 608, so I will keep it short. This is an excellent read, highly recommended, and deserves its 5 stars. It is not short - some 430 pages - but I read it over two days, other things being left undone.
Anyone looking for a great story, set in South Australia on a sheep station, but with much more, terrific characterisation, a family in turmoil but all loving one another in their own way, and the health/memory aspect so interesting and well written/researched. It always had to end with the Christmas letters.
I will be searching out more of Monica McInerney's books.
Anyone looking for a great story, set in South Australia on a sheep station, but with much more, terrific characterisation, a family in turmoil but all loving one another in their own way, and the health/memory aspect so interesting and well written/researched. It always had to end with the Christmas letters.
I will be searching out more of Monica McInerney's books.
November 2, 2014
A special thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Monica McInerney’s Hello From the Gillespies, is an entertaining, hilarious, and brutally honest "family drama of life's messiness at its best" from the front cover to the end!
Angela Gillespie, has a tradition every Christmas. She writes a letter to all her friends with a summary and account of all the exciting events and photos of her family. (not always an honest account with a lot of fluff). Of course, it always has contained the pretty things in life, what everyone wants to hear from a perfect family, right?
This year, as Angela sits down to compile her thoughts, she thinks, why? Her life sucks, and with creative juices flowing, she begins taking each part of her life, her husband, each of her children, her ex-boyfriend, and her pitiful life and what could have been – every last miserable detail. She begins to think for a moment, what it would be like to actually send this email with her real thoughts instead of a false facade as usual.
Of course, this is just an exercise, to vent, and not to actually send (haven’t we all done this, with our bosses, colleagues, friends, family members, ex-husbands or boyfriends)?
At that moment as she is about to delete it, there is a household emergency, sending them to the hospital, leaving the forgotten computer. What she does not anticipate is her husband finding it, thinking he is doing her a favor, by adding in her contact list and sending it out by the deadline, without reading it first.
Can you imagine, this is like having your private diary or journal being found, or back in the old days, your cell phone call has not been disconnected or you inadvertently call someone; having a conversation about your boyfriend and he overhears the entire thing (this happened to a friend of mine, while we were having coffee). Ouch! Everyone has experienced the terror of breached email etiquette and the slip of, reply to all which cannot be undone.
I was laughing so hard, as McInerney has some clever one liners with the character's private thoughts mixed with the tragedy. A family saga which many of us can relate, especially with high expectations during the Christmas season which relate to the perfect family. From sibling rivalry, to old loves, from second guessing, to dreaming what if.
This was my first book by McInerney and enjoyed the conversation with the author at the end, which offers the reader insights into her inspiration for the novel and its characters.
Her exploration of using family life dynamics and members at different life stages: Ig – school, three daughters trying to figure out their career choices and love lives, and Angela and Nick and their marriage was very realistic. Especially grown adult children returning home to live with parents which is very common today, when they should be empty nesters, and her vast research of geographical, historical, and medical information.
Hello from the Gillespies is an ideal book for book clubs or discussions with a nice list at the end as readers explore each character, personalities, secrets, and more!
I was drawn initially by the stunning front cover (as this is the first thing I note when deciding to read a book), as the doors are mysterious, and intriguing, as you want to learn what lies behind closed doors and this family. In addition, nice character development and vivid descriptions of settings, transporting you the place and time.
Hello From the Gillespies is unique; however, reminds me a little of Jan Karon Mitford Series and the humor and complexity of Jo Jo Moyes and Liane Moriarty. Look forward to reading more from this author.
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
Monica McInerney’s Hello From the Gillespies, is an entertaining, hilarious, and brutally honest "family drama of life's messiness at its best" from the front cover to the end!
Angela Gillespie, has a tradition every Christmas. She writes a letter to all her friends with a summary and account of all the exciting events and photos of her family. (not always an honest account with a lot of fluff). Of course, it always has contained the pretty things in life, what everyone wants to hear from a perfect family, right?
This year, as Angela sits down to compile her thoughts, she thinks, why? Her life sucks, and with creative juices flowing, she begins taking each part of her life, her husband, each of her children, her ex-boyfriend, and her pitiful life and what could have been – every last miserable detail. She begins to think for a moment, what it would be like to actually send this email with her real thoughts instead of a false facade as usual.
Of course, this is just an exercise, to vent, and not to actually send (haven’t we all done this, with our bosses, colleagues, friends, family members, ex-husbands or boyfriends)?
At that moment as she is about to delete it, there is a household emergency, sending them to the hospital, leaving the forgotten computer. What she does not anticipate is her husband finding it, thinking he is doing her a favor, by adding in her contact list and sending it out by the deadline, without reading it first.
Can you imagine, this is like having your private diary or journal being found, or back in the old days, your cell phone call has not been disconnected or you inadvertently call someone; having a conversation about your boyfriend and he overhears the entire thing (this happened to a friend of mine, while we were having coffee). Ouch! Everyone has experienced the terror of breached email etiquette and the slip of, reply to all which cannot be undone.
I was laughing so hard, as McInerney has some clever one liners with the character's private thoughts mixed with the tragedy. A family saga which many of us can relate, especially with high expectations during the Christmas season which relate to the perfect family. From sibling rivalry, to old loves, from second guessing, to dreaming what if.
This was my first book by McInerney and enjoyed the conversation with the author at the end, which offers the reader insights into her inspiration for the novel and its characters.
Her exploration of using family life dynamics and members at different life stages: Ig – school, three daughters trying to figure out their career choices and love lives, and Angela and Nick and their marriage was very realistic. Especially grown adult children returning home to live with parents which is very common today, when they should be empty nesters, and her vast research of geographical, historical, and medical information.
Hello from the Gillespies is an ideal book for book clubs or discussions with a nice list at the end as readers explore each character, personalities, secrets, and more!
I was drawn initially by the stunning front cover (as this is the first thing I note when deciding to read a book), as the doors are mysterious, and intriguing, as you want to learn what lies behind closed doors and this family. In addition, nice character development and vivid descriptions of settings, transporting you the place and time.
Hello From the Gillespies is unique; however, reminds me a little of Jan Karon Mitford Series and the humor and complexity of Jo Jo Moyes and Liane Moriarty. Look forward to reading more from this author.
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
October 31, 2019
I loved getting immersed in this book and into the Australian life of the Gillespies. Full of heart, the realities of family is, memorable characters, and hope, this one has be looking over the backlist of the author to read more.
November 16, 2014
I read somewhere recently that everyone has a public life, a private life, and a secret life. This book is a good example of that. And a good example of what happens when your secret life becomes public. Angela and Nick live on a sheep station a few hours from Adelaide. Nick has given up most of the sheep, sold exploration rights to a mining company, is obsessing about a family reunion in Ireland, and obviously having a mid-life crisis/break down. His wife, Angela, who immigrated from England when she married Nick, is confused by his behaviour and their lack of communication, and is basically having her own breakdown in the form of debilitating headaches and failed pottery. Their four children each have their own crises going on, the older children's caused by their failed careers and relationships, and the younger boy due to boarding school. Everything comes to a head when Angela writes a completely honest Christmas letter listing everyone's problems to blow off steam. The therapeutic missive was supposed to be deleted, but in a mix up, Nick sends it out to 100 or so people. The remainder of the book is basically the family coping with everyone knowing their dirty linen, and in particular, Nick knowing his wife's fantasy life with another man. I enjoyed this book for the most, but I did think it could have been a few chapters shorter. Towards the end I was starting to get annoyed by some of the children and their plots. My biggest beef was that I couldn't connect their apparent ages with their immature actions/dialogue. Lindy, the 3rd daughter who was supposed in her early 30s, bugged me the most. She spoke and acted like a 15 year old going through puberty. Even the 10 year old acted like (and was treated like by the rest of the family) a 5 year old. I have a child around this age, and I found it difficult to relate. There were moments I really enjoyed the Angela/Nick romance, however, again, I would have liked more of this and less of the sub plots. Overall though, I'd recommend it. Especially to those who like rural romances, as the use of the Australian landscape/flora/fauna was lovely.
March 6, 2017
Hmmm. This is kind of a tricky one. It was good for much of the book. We're not talking amazing, but it held my interest and the pages were turning pretty easily for at least the first 50% of the novel. The thing of it is, I felt like it was in desperate need of an editor. This book was 600 pages long, and I'd say 100 of them could have easily been chopped right off, and probably another 75 wouldn't be missed. So that was one star down. The other star got subtracted because of a personal pet-peeve I have in novels, which is . I didn't find the characters to be very likable or sympathetic, especially the twin daughters. They were pretty annoying and hard to take. But despite all this, it's still getting three stars from me because I did finish it and I did mostly enjoy it, mostly. Lots of turns (but not twists. I'm so over twists) of plot which were interesting. So I feel pretty good about giving this one a solid three stars. Right in the meaty part of the curve: not showing off, not falling behind. A pretty decent read.
September 14, 2016
A big chunky 600 page book, but the story moved along. I loved the setting which was in Australia on a sheep station in the outback. Angela is the mom & wife- 3 grown daughters & one late in life son & her husband Nick. Each year Angela sends out a cheerful, end of the year newsletter to all of their friends & family ( you know we all get at least 1!) This year something goes wrong with the email & a chain of events follow. It is mostly light hearted, funny with some moments of deep thought & reflection. It was a sweet story. Each character was well thought out & had their own contribution to the story & the family.
Enjoyable, fun, & the 600 pages moved easily.
Enjoyable, fun, & the 600 pages moved easily.
October 1, 2014
Angela Gillespie has the perfect life...or at least it is according to her annual Christmas letter. And, for the most part, she has felt happy with her choices. But something has gone awry in the past year or so, leading to strange inexplicable feelings that suddenly come tumbling out as she types her annual letter. What if she told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but?
Thirty years on a sheep station in Australia was not the life she had planned.
Why is Nick shut away in his office all the time? Who is Carol and why are they Skyping continuously about the Gillespie family reunion in Ireland? Why is Nick obsessed with sorting out his family tree? And why is Angela suddenly imagining the life she might have had? If only.
In the midst of her cathartic letter, an emergency happens, and she leaves it on the computer, unsent.
What occurs next will lead to a rollicking and sometimes painful aftermath, when something totally unplanned turns into unimaginable consequences. Helpful hubby decides to send it (without reading it, of course).
And now, each of her three oldest children have had meltdowns of various kinds and ended up back at home, Twins Victoria and Genevieve have their own special communications and exclude their younger sister Lindy, much to her chagrin. Her whininess is unbelievably annoying, and as she sits sewing cushions and imagining her success, she becomes more than a little bit adolescent-like. Young Ig, who is ten, is the only one who truly should be behaving as a child, but he has a precocious nature that makes him seem odd to the others. And he has an imaginary friend.
"Hello From the Gillespies" feels like a family saga as it unfolds in layers and as we watch the characters deal with the lives they ended up with and as they learn to make the best of things. But then tragedy truly does strike, and everything does change even more in ways that none of them could have anticipated.
A story that takes the reader away into family moments they might recognize, with the sibling rivalries and sparring to the gradually changing relationships between the parents, and we also see how life chisels away at the bonds until it will take something dramatic to bring them all back to one another. Five stars.
Thirty years on a sheep station in Australia was not the life she had planned.
Why is Nick shut away in his office all the time? Who is Carol and why are they Skyping continuously about the Gillespie family reunion in Ireland? Why is Nick obsessed with sorting out his family tree? And why is Angela suddenly imagining the life she might have had? If only.
In the midst of her cathartic letter, an emergency happens, and she leaves it on the computer, unsent.
What occurs next will lead to a rollicking and sometimes painful aftermath, when something totally unplanned turns into unimaginable consequences. Helpful hubby decides to send it (without reading it, of course).
And now, each of her three oldest children have had meltdowns of various kinds and ended up back at home, Twins Victoria and Genevieve have their own special communications and exclude their younger sister Lindy, much to her chagrin. Her whininess is unbelievably annoying, and as she sits sewing cushions and imagining her success, she becomes more than a little bit adolescent-like. Young Ig, who is ten, is the only one who truly should be behaving as a child, but he has a precocious nature that makes him seem odd to the others. And he has an imaginary friend.
"Hello From the Gillespies" feels like a family saga as it unfolds in layers and as we watch the characters deal with the lives they ended up with and as they learn to make the best of things. But then tragedy truly does strike, and everything does change even more in ways that none of them could have anticipated.
A story that takes the reader away into family moments they might recognize, with the sibling rivalries and sparring to the gradually changing relationships between the parents, and we also see how life chisels away at the bonds until it will take something dramatic to bring them all back to one another. Five stars.
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