Flight

by Lynn Steger Strong

"Arresting and powerful,  Flight  examines the possibility and pain of fierce love and hope in our time of looming existential threats.” — Lily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers "Suspenseful, dazzling and moving.” — Rumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind  It’s December twenty-second and siblings Henry, Kate, and Martin have converged with their spouses on Henry’s house in upstate New York. This is the first Christmas the siblings are without their mother, the first not at their mother’s Florida house. Over the course of the next three days, old resentments and instabilities arise as the siblings, with a gaggle of children afoot, attempt to perform familiar rituals, while also trying to decide what to do with their mother’s house, their sole inheritance. As tensions rise, the whole group is forced to come together unexpectedly when a local mother and daughter need help.  With the urgency and artfulness that cemented her previous novel  Want  as “a defining novel of our age” ( Vulture) , Strong once again turns her attention to the structural and systemic failings that are haunting Americans, but also to the ways in which family, friends, and strangers can support each other through the gaps.  Flight  is a novel of family, ambition, precarity, art, and desire, one that forms a powerful next step from a brilliant chronicler of our time.

Genres: Fiction, Christmas, Audiobook, Literary Fiction, Family, Contemporary, Holiday

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 8, 2022

About the author

Lynn Steger Strong was born and raised in South Florida and received an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University where she also taught Freshman Writing. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two small girls.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
“Flight” by Lynn Steger Strong exhibits the messy and complicated relationship of grown siblings after their beloved matriarch dies. Anyone who has experienced the first big holiday, in this case Christmas, after the binding force of the family dies, will appreciate the story. Although adult and professional, each person is left unmoored. Not only is this missing family member the one who united them together, she was the one who soothed hurt egos, cultivated peace and harmony. She created family traditions; she provided the safe harbor for all to be.

Adding to the stress of this holiday, is the fact that the sibling’s mother, Helen, did not leave a will. The only significant asset she had was the rambling, somewhat rundown, family home in Florida. It has been rented for one year, but after that, the siblings must come together and determine the sale of the home.

The three siblings, Henry, Kate, and Martin are married. Henry is an artist, married to Alice who also is an artist, turned social worker. Kate is a stay-at-home mother with three very interesting children. Her husband Josh inexplicably lost all their savings resulting in a precarious financial situation. Martin is a tenured professor who is experiencing humiliating and embarrassing professional problems. His wife, Tess, is a no-nonsense attorney who found a special relationship with Helen. Martin and Tess have two children.

As with all adult sibling gatherings, author Lynn Steger Strong writes authentically the parenting struggles that occur when the families combine. In this case, Kates kids are more independent and maybe a bit more exuberant than Tess’s children. Tess is far more structured and controlling. Of course, Helen always soothed frazzled nerves…and now she’s gone.

This story takes place in three days, and Strong packs these three days with history, emotions, and events. Of course, the inheritance is the main issue in this family story. Kate wants to keep the house; Tess, the attorney, wants a clean transaction: sale, proceeds split 3 ways. Henry is so involved with his art that his feelings on the subject are limited.

Strangely, at least to me, Strong added another family, one that Alice has responsibility for as a social worker. Alice endured multiple failed pregnancies. She struggles emotionally. Her husband Henry is remote to her. At any rate, this family of a 21-year-old heroin user and her beautiful daughter become almost a focal point in the story. Personally, I felt they were a distraction from the main story; however, their addition did add excitement and part of the plot climax.

What I liked about the story is the realistic domestic fiction of adult siblings attempting to navigate their life after their beloved mother dies. Also, the new family traditions and expectations that they attempt to forge are fraught with anxiety. That first year, after a central figure in an extended family dies, is usually an endeavor. Strong’s ability to write about the struggles of mothers, working and stay-at-home; the struggles of marriage, mostly from a female’s perspective is wonderful. She slightly touched upon Alice and her grief in miscarriages.

All in all, I recommend this for those who love domestic fiction, especially those who have endured the struggles of reinventing a new extended family without their matriarch.

[Melissa ~ Bantering Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flight is very much a character-driven family drama. One that is rather cold and emotionally distant in its writing, and slow in its storytelling, yet riveting. I devoured it in three days, a testament to the skill of the author.

What else has Lynn Steger Strong written? I am about to find out.


My sincerest appreciation to Lynn Steger Strong, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Flight" by Lynn Steger Strong is Family Fiction with Holiday Fiction Undertones!

Three adult siblings with their spouses and children gather for the first Christmas together since Helen, the family matriarch, passed. They're at odds without her and need to come to a mutually agreeable decision concerning her house. It's the home the three siblings grew up in and where they returned to, as a family, every year at Christmas until this one.

Despite seeming intentionally "matter-of-fact" in its narration, this character study is compelling, relatable, and realistic. Complex family relationships bristling and slowly bubbling to a head during an annual three-day holiday celebration, where the one that has always held all the pieces and parts together is no longer present. What's not to love about a story like that?

Although these characters are not lovable or even likable, their shared memories, conflicts, and struggles create an evocative story. Their journey shows the fragility of familial bonds and how quickly signs of duress can show without the care and nourishment needed to fill the cracks of loss.

The audiobook narrator, Andi Arndt, has such clarity in her voicing I was able to listen at 2.0x speed from beginning to end in one afternoon. It was great company during a long walk and for the alone time I craved!

"Flight" is the type of story I prefer and enjoy reading during the holidays. It's Family Fiction with Holiday Fiction undertones that has serious topics with a dramatic rather than comedic feel. How refreshing is that? I highly recommend to those who prefer the same!

[Katie B · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, Flight was a disappointment which is unfortunate because it had a good premise with a siblings and their respective families gathering for their first Christmas after the death of their mother. The problem was the story wasn't all that interesting and the characters weren't well-developed. I will say though that perhaps the complexity of the story went completely over my head. Regardless, it just didn't work for me.

Keeping track of the various characters was a challenge and frustrating as that's rarely a problem for me. The story alternates between the daughter of the matriarch and the 2 daughter-in-laws. You also get an adult female and her child who have a connection to Alice, a daughter-in-law. Throw into the mix 3 men and some kids, and it's confusing because the stage isn't set very well to really get to know these characters.

On the positive side of things, the last third of the book was the strongest. It didn't save the story but at least my interest level went up.

It's no fun writing a negative review but it's unrealistic to believe I will love every book I read. Just because it was a miss for me doesn't mean some other reader won't find value in the story.

Thank you to Mariner Books and Book Club Girl for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book suffered greatly from way too many characters being introduced too early on. And this meant that they (and their backstories) just ended blending into one messy story of characters lacking in nuance that I could not make myself engage with or care about. Such a shame as I've really enjoyed Lynn Steger Strong's other novels.

Thank you Netgalley and Scribner UK for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flight is a family drama story set during the week of Christmas. Three adult siblings come together in upstate NY with their families for the first Christmas after the passing of their mom, Helen.

Martin and Tess live in NYC. Martin’s job is currently up in the air and Tess can be controlling. Henry is an artist and Alice is a social worker, grappling with a life different than the one she envisioned. She is close with one of her assigned case children, Maddie, who lives nearby with her mom. Kate and Josh don’t have as much money as they once did, and on this trip, Kate wants to ask her brothers if her family can live in Helen’s house in Florida.

The book takes place over less than a week in December and while there is a plot, Flight is more of a character-driven story. I enjoyed the family dynamics and the winter, holiday setting.

[AndiReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read. I love a long rollicking expansive family novel and Flight fits the bill. It's the winter holidays and three siblings and their spouses have gathered to celebrate. They are taking up the mantle held by their recently passed matriarch thus the holidays bring a whole new slew of roaring emotions.

There are adults without jobs, adults who hate their jobs, adults who would love to work more and happily staying home moms. It's actually filled with characters and I think it could have used another 50-100 pages to etch out the personalities of some of the less important siblings/spouses. Even so, I love the adventure of it and the added suspense regarding what should be done with the matriarch's home.

I could easily sit down and lose myself in a sequel, I loved this so much. But it's not that kind of book. Steger Strong invites you into the lives of this family for a short period of time to potentially pass judgement. It's not long before you see yourself in each and every one of the characters. If you love contemporary novels, family holiday disasters or just would enjoy a superbly written novel, Flight is for you!
#marinerbooks #netgalley #LynnStegerStrong #Flight

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of 3 siblings and their spouses and children, sharing a holiday after the death of their mother.

There were too many people, too many names and too many backstories for me. I found this book very difficult to wade through. I was often confused about who belonged to who. To add to this there is a subplot, adding more names and another backstory.

There were money problems and rivalries, shifting allegiances and children with issues. Altogether too much in one novel.

Though I generally enjoy this type of novel about a family gathering, this had too much family, all together over a short holiday.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

[Larry H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drama ensues when siblings and their families gather for the holidays.

Every Christmas, siblings Martin, Henry, and Kate, as well as their spouses and families, spend the holiday at their mother’s home in Florida. But their mother Helen died eight months ago, so for the first time, they’ve all converged at Henry’s house in upstate New York.

As to be expected when any family gathers, the same old arguments and resentments bubble up. This one hates that one’s husband, this one is too tense, this one’s kids are too wild. But this year, there’s the added burden of grief and the uncertainty of what they should do with their mother’s house, so the tension is ratcheted up a bit more.

If there’s a novel about family drama and/or dysfunction, I’m always there for it. Flight definitely had promise, but I didn’t find any of the characters appealing in any way, and the addition of another young woman and her child just served to bog the plot down for me.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.

[Tinichix (nicole) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a few specific things that often make a book a good fit for me and this book had a few of those elements. It’s a good binge/weekend read. It’s shorter and a quick easy read. It takes place over just a few days, the three days just before Christmas. And it focuses on siblings. I’ve said it probably too many times on here that I am an only child so books about siblings, no matter the dynamic, are always interesting to me. For the length of this book the characters were very well developed, so were their relationships. I enjoyed how very different they all are but how they share Helen, the mom, in common. I enjoyed this and liked our authors style very much.

Huge thanks to Goodreads, our author and Mariner Books for providing giveaways. Their giveaway has in no way influenced my rating, nor was I under any obligation to review the book after reading it. ‘Flight’ is set to release 11-8-22 according to Goodreads. If you get a chance to read this I hope you enjoy it.

[Jessica Gregory · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok I wasted my time here. There were way too many characters to keep track of. There was no depth to any of them so it was very confusing. There was also no plot. It was the most surface level book I’ve read and the writing was bad and was just all over the place. Also, not very Christmas themed if ya ask me.

Thank you Mariner for the ARC.

[Jojo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, i am so glad to be done with the book. First off, i don’t think i ever kept the characters straight for the simple fact that they weren’t memorable. So many were introduced early on, including all their kids who really don’t add that much to the story other than to illustrate the longing to have one by one of the in-laws. There are three siblings whose mother died. I could never really decide if the mother was a good person or a pain in the ass. I had a difficult time remembering who was married to whom.

The one character that might have been interesting was Josh and i gathered that the most of the characters didn’t really like him that much because he had been a trust fund baby but lost it all with bad investments.

There was kind of a plot. Josh and his wife (one of the siblings) wants to continuing living in the dead mother’s house to “keep it in the family” which seems rather selfish to assume the others will just go along with this. Besides all of the numerous family members there is another single mother who is a recovering drug addict who just got her child back. One of the in-laws of the family is her caseworker.

When i got done, i thought to myself? What was resolved really? And what was the point of this book? And why is it getting so many stars from readers?

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I’ll go with a 3.5. It took me an age to work out who everyone was. The final third made it for me, and there were some passages that elevated it to something more than a mediocre family saga, particularly the musings on parenting from different lenses.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5) I couldn’t resist the setup: three grown-up siblings and their families meet at the one brother’s house in upstate New York to celebrate their first Christmas since their mother died. The novel takes place over just four days, the 22nd through Christmas Day, but Strong pumps in a lot of backstory about the sibling dynamic and the three marriages. The late Helen has already ascended into legend, and her coastal home in Florida is a bargaining chip. Tess, Martin’s lawyer wife, approaches the problem practically: sell it and split the profits three ways. Henry, an environmentalist artist, wants to sell the land to the state to be part of a nature preserve. Kate, the sentimental one, wants to live in the house herself but isn’t sure she and Josh can afford to buy her brothers out. At first I thought this was going to be a slightly irksome story of privileged white people and their ‘problems’, but there is a biracial character and an ex-heroin addict and her daughter also become key characters. As the family build igloos, bake pies and plan the perfect photo shoot, offences are simmering under the surface (“Mostly they resent each other from a comfortable enough distance that they might call it love”). These all fade, though, when a child goes missing. I was reminded subtly of Ann Patchett’s work, but more, with the environmental and parenting themes, of Ramona Ausubel and Megan Mayhew Bergman. I’d read more by Strong.

Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, this is another novel about a family coming to terms with itself and the loss of a parent but don't turn away- it's beautifully written and engaging in a way I didn't expect. Martin and Tess, and Kate and Josh have brought their children to Henry and Alice's home for Christmas. It's told by the women, each of whom has a different life experience and perspective as the group works through the weekend with the specter of a decision of what to do with their mother's house in the background. Alice and Henry are artists who, despite everything, have been unable to have a child. She's stepped away from her art to work as a social worker- and she's become obsessed with Maddie, one of her clients. Tess is an attorney who everyone believes is buttoned up and she's helping Martin hide a career crisis. Joshua had a large inheritance but he's run through it with bad investments so Kate, who has been a stay at home mom is at a decision point. As sometimes happens, it's a bit of a challenge to keep everyone straight at first (who goes with who) but then it settles into a rhythm. There's privilege here in the inheritances- but there's also relatable issues. Strong is a good storyteller and her writing sparkles. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Excellent read.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

For every book there is a reader. This was not the book for this reader.

Mother has died. The matriarch of the family is gone. The one who brought them all together, worked out their difficulties, taught them to share is no more. These three adult children became unable to cope, to talk with their siblings, to strive to understand one another. Coming together for the first Christmas without Mom becomes an exercise in dodging land mines. Three siblings, three spouses, assorted children who are overprotected, dependent, bratty - this reader had difficulty figuring out who was who and what their particular issue was. Too many backstories combined with the infighting that was going on, made for an unpleasant read. Then there was a subplot which added more names and more backstories. For a fairly short book, each page was packed with unpleasantness. Maybe they should have all stayed home this holiday!

I usually enjoy family stories but this one was a slog. I did finish the book.

I received an e-ARC from Mariner Books and NetGalley, in exchange for a review.

[Marika_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taką Pauzę lubię najbardziej 💕 czyli w wersji dramatu rodzinnego rozwijającego się na ograniczonej przestrzeni. Tym razem rodzeństwo wraz ze swoimi rodzinami spotyka się w Boże Narodzenie, które po raz pierwszy będą spędzać bez zmarłej niedawno matki.
Książka krótka, a Lynn Steger Strong potrafiła tak wyraziście nakreślić każdą z postaci. Tak krótka, a tak mocno trzymająca w napięciu, a obok tych rodzinnych konfliktów i starć, pojawia się wątek pewnego zaginięcia.
Autorka jest też świetną obserwatorką, potrafi doskonale wniknąć w umysły swoich bohaterów i bardzo realistycznie oddać ich zmagania z życiem, relacjami i z samymi sobą. Szczególnie mocno wybrzmiewa to w opisach postaci kobiecych.
Styl jest bardzo oszczędny, klimat kameralny, nie ma tu żadnych zbędnych udziwnień i ozdobników ani męczącej efekciarskiej formy czy bezcelowej wydłużonej narracji. Niepozorna nowela do przeczytania w jeden lub dwa wieczory, ale będzie oddziaływać na mnie zdecydowanie zostanie dłużej.

[Novel Visits · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25⁣⁣ - Thanks to @marinerbooks for an ARC of #Flight which releases tomorrow.⁣⁣

Stories about families, fractured or whole, always seem to get to me and this fall 𝗙𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 by Lynn Steger-Strong joins that club. It’s the story of three adult siblings and their spouses who are gathering for the first Christmas without their mom, Helen. Helen was the heart of the family, keeping peace, pushing them all to stay connected and stay kind. Christmas had always been at her house in Florida, but this first year without her, they’re gathering in upstate New York at one of her sons' homes. The children are excited and eager, but all the adults carry grief, resentments, and fear of not being able connect without Helen.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
“𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦’𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 - 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧 - 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘩.”⁣⁣
⁣⁣
While the quote sounds dire, no maiming goes on in 𝘍𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. Instead we follow six adults desperately trying to understand each other and find paths toward not simply loving, but truly LIKING each other. It’s a bumpy road, but one I enjoyed traveling on. I very much liked this entire prickly family and appreciated the journey they were on. Many of us have been there. Steger-Strong wrote about it beautifully in quiet prose punctuated with sharp jabs, and the revelation of tender soars that sometimes only family can heal. This was a really thoughtful story and one I would definitely recommend.

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. This short novel about three adult siblings and their families coming together to decide the fate of the estate is trying to do too much. There are discussions about mother child relationships, class structure, the value of money, climate change, recovering from trauma, addiction, and more. I liked it enough to want to know what would happen at the end, but had to make a chart to keep all of the characters and their relationships to each other straight.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Lynn Steger’s most recent book, Flight, was, for me, a disappointing read. Steger’s style keeps readers at an arm’s length; her characters are never fully developed ; and the plot is stagnant, lacking any arc, much less an arc that is relatable.

Flight is the story of three siblings—Martin and Kate and their respective spouses, each with young children, and a third sibling, Henry, and his wife, childless though not for lack of trying. It is the first Christmas after the death of their mother, Helen, the beloved family matriarch. Helen was almost revered by all and was the glue that held this diverse family together. Without her, each character is experiencing a shift in the family dynamic, as they each try to navigate through the empty space of Helen’s loss. The traditional holiday gathering is, for the first time, not taking place at Helen’s home, where the siblings were raised, and the discomfort of trying to replicate Helen’s seemingly effortless hosting is proving to be difficult.

Steger’s narrative approach, with rotating points of view, is best described as aloof. For this reader, not one character was explored or exposed in enough depth to make them engaging or “investable”. Instead, the character development is shallow and brief, which results in one dimensional sketches, each dysfunctional and a bit neurotic. Though characters don’t need to be likable to be effective, none here warranted any more than a distanced disinterest.

These flat, often stereotypic, characters are the engine that is supposed to guide the plot. Predictably, that storyline is almost equally as unexciting, and it unfolds as an expository revelation of how grief affects the family dynamic—fodder that, when presented in isolation, is perhaps more suitable to an essay or short story than a novel. After the first few chapters, one’s mind begins to drift away from the page to escape the monotony. Nothing. Happens. There is no great awakening or epiphany. No story arc that pushes the reader to want to turn the page. It is just paragraph after paragraph of absolutely nothing but painful minutiae.

It would be remiss to not mention that the quality of the writing itself is beyond reproach. Well constructed sentences and colorful vocabulary clearly demonstrate the unmistakable strengths of this writer. If those strengths were ever coupled with an interesting plot and engaging characters, Steger would be quite a talented author. Unfortunately, when all the cards are played and the last page is turned, what remains is simply the quality of the word choice and the Steger’s knowledge of conventions. Those two characteristics alone are simply not enough to carry this book beyond a mediocre three star rating, making Steger more of a writer than an author, a distinction never more clear than within these pages.

[CanadianReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5

Eight months after the death of their mother who is spoken of in hagiographic terms, three siblings in their early forties, their spouses and young children gather at the upstate New York home of the middle son, Henry, and his wife, Alice. It’s Christmas, the first without their beloved Helen, who brought the group together and invariably smoothed out tensions. And tensions there are aplenty—internal, marital, and familial.

The youngest of the siblings, Kate, the one with the deepest attachment to Helen wants to move with her husband and three kids from Virginia to Florida into the home she and her brothers grew up in. Helen left no will, so for the time being the house is being rented. The siblings are to decide what to do about the place at this holiday gathering. A few years back, Kate and her husband could easily have bought out her siblings. Josh had a huge inheritance. Unfortunately, he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer; he made some lousy investments in tech stocks and lost almost everything. Kate’s brothers and their wives don’t know about her family’s financial vicissitudes yet, but a couple of them have anticipated her request. Kate hopes she might somehow convince them all to give her the house. The main obstacle is Tess, her prickly sister-in-law, a workaholic New York City litigation lawyer.

Steger Strong skillfully takes the reader into minds of the six adults in this family, providing insights into their values, worries, and insecurities. The women’s concerns get far more airplay than the men’s. Another strand of the plot concerns a 23-year-old single mother, Quinn, and her six or seven-year-old child, the precocious Maddie. Quinn, a former heroin addict, had her child taken from her for a time by Child Welfare Services. Quinn was sent to rehab and then lived in a halfway house until she got her act together. Alice is the social worker assigned to Quinn and Maddie’s case. It’s a particularly tough one for her. Alice desperately wanted a child of her own, underwent extended fertility treatment, and had numerous miscarriages nevertheless.

The plot of the novel takes a fairly dramatic turn when Maddie goes missing during this holiday period. I’ll not say much about this, except to note that this is where I think the novel falters. Many pages are dedicated to Quinn, Alice, and Alice’s brothers-in-law traipsing through the woods, fearing that the child may have died of exposure. Meanwhile back at the house, Kate and Tess work on dinner, supervise the children, and draw closer over several glasses of wine.

I can tolerate play-by-play present-tense narration of characters’ inner states—and I think Steger Strong does this beautifully in the first two thirds of the novel. But I draw the line when this technique is applied to document actions—the minute by minute progression of children’s activities, their squabbles, and the minutiae of meal-time behaviour, for example. There’s far too much of it in the last third.

I also found the conclusion of the novel cloying. What had been a convincing depiction of characters’ internal and external conflicts devolved into the kind of domestic fiction I don’t enjoy: women preparing meals and intervening when their little “duckies” quarrel or become impatient. Some may find the novel’s finale heartwarming, and, to be clear, I am not averse to reading about people who experience a sense of unity with others or at least look past their differences, but the final scenes here were overdone. In particular, the last bit where everyone lies down to look at an art installation (recreating a previous experience orchestrated by the saintly Helen) just felt contrived.

I’m unlikely to look for the author’s other novels.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel especially as I read it over the Christmas period. It starts as three grown children and their partners meet for their first festive get together since their mothers death.
Their mother, Helen, was the one that held the family together, the one who smoothed over tensions, making sure the family worked as a unit. Without her how would things play out?
I would recommend this thoughtful and emotionally astute novel.

[Jude (HeyJudeReads) Fricano · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful, thoughtful and moving story for the holidays. Family, parents, siblings, fear, love, loss .. and the holidays. Its hard to read a story like this without recalling and reliving your own holidays. Every person is telling themselves a story which may not match the actual story. We carry so much with us from place to place. This is one family's holiday time together.

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flat family saga with a very unlikable family.

[Jerrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry to have to do this. I received the Advance Reader's Edition of this book and this rarely happens, but I had to make myself keep reading, hoping it would improve at some point. It begins on December 22 with short introductions, by four pairs, of the eight main characters. Chapter 1 begins when they and their children are all thrown together at the home of one couple from then and for traditional Christmas dinner. During that "holiday" they are to decide what to do with the house in Florida that belonged to the mother of three of these characters. It was a good thing I was reading a print copy because, for the first time, I couldn't keep straight who belonged to whom, who had what children, and the multiple relationships or lack thereof, so had to keep checking back to that forward. They were all dissatisfied and unhappy people. They did not like each other, nor even themselves, though occasionally some made a veiled pretense otherwise. I did not like most of them either.
Several authors wrote blurbs stating that it was about fierce love, dazzling, etc. I found very little evidence of that. I'm not an expert--perhaps I'm totally wrong but I can't recommend. But books are like sweethearts: we don't all like the same one, thank goodness; so judge for yourself.

[patsy_thebooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Świetna! Prawdziwe kameralne, ale i rozbudowane psychologicznie, family drama. Niby już wszystko było: dorosłe rodzeństwo zbiera się na święta w domu jednego z nich, każdy ze swoją rodziną - jest siostra z mężem i dziećmi, brat z żoną i dziećmi i drugi brat z żoną. Pół roku wcześniej zmarła matka rodzeństwa - matka, która dbała o utrzymywanie tradycji spędzania świąt wspólnie, całą rodziną, rok rocznie w tym samym gronie. Wszyscy w domu rodzinnym. No i ten dom rodzinny od pół roku stoi pusty, choć jak się okazuje - wcale nie, bo jednemu z rodzeństwa bardzo zależy na jego 'otrzymaniu'. Testamentu matka nie zostawiła, wielkiego majątku również nie, ale jest ten dom. I są też problemy - mniejsze, większe, na poziomie jednostek, na poziomie małżeństw, na poziomie relacji rodzeństwa, szwagrostwa. Relacji z mamą, której już nie ma. Z dziećmi, z codziennością. Problemy, trudności, uciążliwości niepowodzenia, dylematy, zazdrości, zwał jak zwał. Są odmienne style życia, odmienne potrzeby i pragnienia, odmienne doświadczenia, odmienne perspektywy, które - gdy tak zgrabnie ze sobą zestawione - pokazują sedno większości trudności w ułożeniu relacji z ludźmi. Bo jednostki się różnią, bo doświadczenia się różnią, bo te perspektywy się różnią. A przy założeniu, że większość tego, kim jesteśmy i co nas buduje, jest jednak skrywane głęboko w nas, nieudostępniane na zewnątrz - z wielu różnych powodów (zewnętrznych i wewnętrznych, świadomych i nieświadomych), to te relacje są jakieś skrzywione, nie do końca autentyczne, powierzchowne, niemal wynikające z jakiegoś obowiązku, choć przecież naznaczone miłością, przywiązaniem i jakąś tam wspólnotą doświadczeń i emocji. I czasem potrzeba impulsu, niezależnego bodźca, czasem jakiegoś okna wrażliwości, jakiejś chwili słabości, która umożliwi połączenie, wycofanie defensywy, otwarcie się na tę inną perspektywę.

Myślę sobie o tych bohaterach, o tych kobietach, ich mikro- i makroproblemach, chociaż jakie ja mam prawo, by oceniać skalę ich trudności i problemów. Każda kobieta w jakiś sposób ze mną rezonowała, w każdej znalazłam coś znajomego, każda mnie w jakiś sposób ujęła i poruszyła, ale i każda w jakimś zakresie była mi obca.

Widziałam wczoraj rolkę na profilu Women's Prize for Fiction, w której Barbara Kingsolver mówi o niebywałej sile fikcji objawiającej się w dawaniu możliwości wejścia w głowę innego człowieka i patrzenia na świat jego oczami. Nie mogłabym się zgodzić bardziej. I 'Flight' właśnie to robi - i tych perspektyw jest więcej. Lubię taką kameralność, lubię taką intymność, lubię takie poświęcenie uwagi jednostce. Jedni powiedzą, że nudne, nic się nie dzieje, życie jak każdego. Dla mnie szalenie zajmujące - dosłownie nie mogłam się oderwać, zaczęłam wczoraj, skończyłam dzisiaj. To autorka 'Niedostatku' wydanego przez Fame Art. Trzymam kciuki za utrzymanie autorki i wydanie jej najnowszej powieści, bo jest 5/5 👌

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but powerful, I really, really enjoyed this family drama that takes place over Christmas as three grown siblings, their partners and children come together to celebrate the holidays and figure out what to do with their dead mother's house - the only inheritance she left them.

Told from multiple POVs, this book was perfect for fans of The nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney or When I ran away by Ilona Bannister. I found it so relatable, emotional and moving! The author did such a great job capturing the grief of all the characters and their very real struggles of modern marriage and motherhood, while also weaving in climate change concerns and financial woes in today's economy.

Great on audio narrated by Andi Arndt - this one will stick with me for a long time and keep me thinking long after I finished! A top contender for my favorites of 2022 list too!

⚠️CW: drug addiction, infertility, pregnancy loss, death of a parent

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, families!

Helen, the matriarch of the clan, is dead, and her three grown children—Henry, Kate, and Martin—and their spouses and their children are all struggling to adjust to the new world without her as well as trying to deal with the regular problems—too much work, too little work, intimacy issues, lack of intimacy issues, kid difficulties, money troubles, and more—of life. The remaining family gets together just before Christmas…and here begins the barrage of irritating conversations and rude comments and snarky remarks and cruel statements along with the helpful words and loving thoughts and generous assertions and kind declarations that make up the complexity that is family life.

I greatly enjoyed this well-drawn picture of a family.

[Bonnie G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, a laudable effort to explore the various manifestations of grief when the death of a strong and beloved matriarch leaves adult children with no center of gravity. There was a timely side dish of the celebration of the recognition of privilege. I was sort of bored though, and I mostly did not care about the story and the characters in it. No . . . that is wrong . . . I entirely did not care about the story or the characters in it.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family drama for the holidays.