Voice / Hyperion 2008
Germany: Heyne
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House and Home
The story of a woman who loves her house so much that she'll do just about anything to keep it.
Ellen Flanagan has two precious girls to raise, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop to run, terrific friends, and a sexy husband. She adores her house, a yellow Cape Cod filled with quirky antiques, beloved nooks and dents, and a million memories. But now, at forty-four, she's about to lose it all.
After eighteen roller-coaster years of marriage, Ellen's husband, Sam — who's charismatic, spontaneous, and utterly irresponsible — has disappointed her in more ways than she can live with, and they're getting divorced. Her daughters are miserable about losing their daddy. Worst of all, the house that Ellen loves with all her heart must now be sold.
Ellen's life is further complicated by a lovely and unexpected relationship with the husband of the shrewish, social-climbing woman who has purchased the house. Add to that the confusion over how she really feels about her almost-ex-husband, and you have the makings of a delicious novel about what matters most in the end ...
Set in the gorgeous surroundings of Portland, Oregon, Kathleen McCleary's funny, poignant, curl-up-and-read debut strikes a deep emotional chord and explores the very notion of what makes a house a home.
Booklist:
In McCleary's poignant, gently humorous novel, the characters seem utterly alive, and the locations are exquisitely described. This book also has one of the best opening paragraphs in recent memory, and is altogether so superior it's hard to believe that it's a debut. Readers who enjoy fine women's fiction, such as Mary Alice Monroe's Sweetgrass (2005), will be delighted to discover this new author.
Publishers Weekly:
HGTV.com columnist McCleary's tale of real estate woe (plus a little entrepreneurship gone wrong) will resonate with unhappy homeowners, as will her portrait of a regular woman pushed to extremes trying to do the right thing for her family.
The New York Times:
House & Home is a sharply funny, nicely realized work of catharsis that will be satisfyingly familiar to anyone who has ever suffered seller's remorse.
Joanna Scott, author of Liberation and Everybody Loves Somebody:
At the center of Kathleen McCleary's impressive debut novel is a woman who risks destroying everything she has lovingly arranged just so someone else can't have it. House and Home is a riveting book, packed with wit, dramatic twists, powerful consequences, and pitch-perfect details.
Leslie Schnurr, author of The Dog Walker and Late Night Talking:
Kathleen McCleary has written a funny and poignant novel, featuring a wonderfully flawed heroine, about how a house can define who we are, and what we think about our lives and ourselves. I laughed out loud and was moved by this realistic portrayal of marriage, family and love.