A Very Typical Family

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What to expect

A propulsive contemporary women’s fiction debut with dark humor and messy yet warm-hearted family dynamics, perfect for fans of Claire Lombardo’s The Most Fun We Ever Had and Emma Straub’s All Adults Here

All families are messy. Some are disasters.

Natalie Walker is the reason her older brother and sister went to prison over fifteen years ago. She fled California shortly after that fateful night and hasn’t spoken to anyone in her family since. Now, on the same day her boyfriend steals her dream job out from under her, Natalie receives a letter from a lawyer saying her estranged mother has died and left the family’s historic Santa Cruz house to her. Sort of. The only way for Natalie and her siblings to inherit is for all three adult children to come back and claim it―together.

Natalie drives cross-country to Santa Cruz with her willful cat in tow expecting to sign some papers, see siblings Lynn and Jake briefly, and get back to sorting out her life in Boston. But Jake, now an award-winning ornithologist, is missing. And Lynn, working as an undertaker in New York City, shows up with a teenage son. While Natalie and her nephew look for Jake―meeting a very handsome marine biologist who immediately captures her heart―she unpacks the guilt she has held onto for so many years, wondering how (or if) she can salvage a relationship with her siblings after all this time.

A Very Typical Family navigates the messy yet warm-hearted journey of a family struggling to find each other again. Written with delightfully dark humor and characters you can’t help but cheer for, this debut from Sierra Godfrey will have you reveling in the power of family and second chances. No one can change the past, but every day is an opportunity to choose your future.

Critics Review

  • “I loved this. I couldn’t put it down. Engrossing, satisfying. The minute I turned the last page I messaged three friends to tell them they had to grab it. It’s that good!”

    K. J. Dell'Antonia, New York Times bestselling author

  • “With wit and a big heart, A Very Typical Family gracefully tackles one messy family’s rocky path back to one another. Godfrey has crafted a trio of siblings that readers will fall for on their journey of finding the courage to reach across the distances we create. Clever, sharply written, and at once darkly funny and tender, Godfrey’s debut captures what it means to come home in every sense.”

    Holly James, author of Nothing But the Truth

  • “At times light-hearted, at times gut wrenching, A Very Typical Family is a touching exploration of what it means to forgive others and forgive ourselves. With a quirky protagonist and affecting characters, Godfrey has crafted a moving, memorable novel.”

    Syed M. Masood, author of The Bad Muslim Discount

  • “By turns mordantly funny and deeply moving, A Very Typical Family is an emotional gut punch of a story. If you like characters who march to their own beats—and who doesn’t—you’ll love this rich and compelling story.”

    Ashley Winstead, author of The Last Housewife

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