The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry: Review

It is tough to watch your parents age. You realize how fast time flies and maybe for some, how much you have missed. This new release I reviewed really drove home the message of family.

I related to so much in this book. I cannot tell you how many tears I shed reading this one. How much I regret not having a better relationship with some of my family members. But it does go both ways too.

I first read this author with her last publication The Bookshop at Water’s End. I really loved that story and so happy to read her again.

Fair warning- be ready to get emotional when diving into this one. Here are my thoughts.

The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry
Publisher: Berkley (June 4, 2019)
ISBN-13: 978-0399583131

ABOUT:
Ten years ago, Lena Donohue experienced a wedding-day betrayal so painful that she fled the small town of Watersend, South Carolina, and reinvented herself in New York City. Though now a freelance travel writer, the one place she rarely goes is home—until she learns of her dad’s failing health.

Returning to Watersend means seeing the sister she has avoided for a decade and the brother who runs the family’s Irish pub and has borne the burden of his sisters’ rift. While Alzheimer’s slowly steals their father’s memories, the siblings rush to preserve his life in stories and in photographs. As his secret past brings Lena’s own childhood into focus, it sends her on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry Review

No one wants to admit that their parent(s) are getting older. Slowing down. Maybe even fighting an invisible battle. Maybe that means we are getting older. More likely, it means that we will feel like we are alone in the world and without the connection or support we can only get from our parents.

The author took on many family issues in this book. Health. Broken bonds. Betrayal. Secrets. Loss of family connections.

But she also wrote about healing and understanding. Forgiveness and the strength of the family unit. Something that is stronger than any other relationship, it seems.

This book was probably not a great one for me to read at this time. My Dad is aging quickly and parts of this story really hit me hard. I related to so much of this story. I see myself in Lena in so many ways. I understood her heartbreak and pain.

But, family is more important than the other problems and her connection with her father is super special. The why is foreshadowed and not a big surprise to me. However, it explains so much of the story too.

I love that Henry is able to understand the family connection so well as to be able to write a story that grabs you in the heart and doesn’t let you go until the very end. It is written with such deep emotion, she totally got to me over and over.

Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free ebook so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.