Family Drama

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What to expect

Susan Bliss is torn between two lives.

Her husband Alcott has decided only one will be remembered.

'A beautiful portrait of a woman living a double life' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

'Sharp, emotionally astute' OBSERVER

'Beautifully written' DAILY MAIL

'An absorbing story of love, loss and the price of fame' HEAT

'A magnificent debut' CLARE LESLIE HALL

'Bruisingly gorgeous' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE

'Exquisitely precise and well-observed' INDIA KNIGHT

'A truly sublime novel' HANNAH BEER

'Delivers heartache, euphoria and the unfathomable puzzle of family' SIERRA GREER

It’s the 1990s.

Susan Bliss is trying to make it all work. In L.A., she’s a burgeoning star with big hair and tight jeans, smouldering on the nation’s favourite TV drama. But in quiet New England, she’s wife to a history professor and raising two young twins, trying to keep the family on track. What she doesn't know is that there isn't enough time to do it all.

It’s the 2000s.

Viola and Sebastian can barely remember the woman who raised them, and their father has told them little of her fame.

But the past can’t stay hidden forever, and as the teenaged twins pursue the secrets Susan left behind, they spin off in different directions.

A novel about obsession, ambition and love. Every family has its dramas, but what happens when you aren't there to tell your side of the story?

What early readers are saying about Family Drama…

‘EXQUISITE! … I can’t wait to read this again and discuss it with my book clubs’

‘A soap star mom living a double life … This book is fully of messy families, complicated women and just enough drama to keep things juicy!’

‘A love story that has so many obstacles’

‘Nostalgic, poetic … each storyline came back around in a circle’

‘This book was written like a work of art’

‘Wow. That was a hell of a debut … Her commentary on life, love and legacy felt thought-provoking and impactful’

‘The writing in this novel pulls you in and the characters keep you there’

‘Weaves together moments of heartbreak with scenes of high drama’

‘A family drama that will pull you in from the beginning’

Why booksellers love this book…

‘One of the most moving books I’ve read in a long time … It’s extraordinary when a debut novel is this good about family drama!’

‘I cried for the lost childhoods, the struggle to find a middle ground. Please read this so we can talk’

‘A story of sibling love, loss, and the cost of following your dreams … and all the drama that the title promises, this novel is a must-add for book club calendars’

Critics Review

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'A magnificent debut. It has everything I love – gorgeous writing, complicated love affairs, a gripping storyline and so many pitch-perfect observations, I often had to read a sentence twice' Clare Leslie Hall, author of Broken Country

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'Sweeping and intimate, Family Drama is a bruisingly gorgeous debut' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies

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‘Sweeping and precise, Family Drama delivers heartache, euphoria, and the unfathomable puzzle of family with singular brilliance’ Sierra Greer, author of Annie Bot

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'A truly sublime novel about families, fame, ambition, and all the things they inspire – love, rage, grief, joy' Hannah Beer, author of I Make My Own Fun

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‘An impressive first novel about, to put it very crudely – the book is anything but crude, it is exquisitely precise and well-observed – female ambition versus mothering, the contradictions of family life, and who gets to tell a person’s story’ India Knight

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'A sharp, emotionally astute meditation on ambition, motherhood and inheritance. Fallon writes with assurance and restraint … It’s a novel that understands how love can be both sustaining and corrosive' Observer

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'An absorbing story of love, loss and the price of fame' Heat

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’A beautiful portrait of a woman living a double life … Fans of Ann Patchett and Claire Lombardo will love this emotional story' Good Housekeeping, book of the month, January 2026

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'Beautifully written' Daily Mail

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‘In this reflective debut, the family must come to terms with not only their loss but each other’s contradictions’ Mail on Sunday

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‘Filled with richly drawn, flawed, and lovable characters, it's a poignant story about love, grief, obsession’ Woman, This Week’s Hot Read

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'If you're a fan of family sagas, Rebecca Fallon's stunning debut is the book for you' Daily Express & Mirror

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'Assured in her craftsmanship, radiant in her compassionate characterizations, Fallon invites comparisons to Ann Patchett, Ann Napolitano, and Anne Tyler' Booklist (starred)

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