Purchased from a library sale. Six books for £1!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Promise of Happiness explores what happens to a middle-class family who, on the surface, seem happy and just like any other until their most beloved daughter gets thrown into jail in New York State for art theft, a crime she committed almost unwittingly.

The family falls apart and the novel describes how each family member fails to cope in their own particular way. It is a novel of immense power and deep humanity.

Hmmm. This book is based entirely around the Judd family who are scattered all over the world; Charles and Daphne are in Cornwall, and their three children are Juju, who is about to be released from prison in the USA for an art theft, Charlie is based in London, about to marry a Peruvian beauty called Ana, although he doesn't really love her, but she's pregnant with his baby, although he's travelling across the USA through most of the book, driving to collect his sister from prison, and there's Sophie, the youngest daughter,who is also living in London and is trying to come off drugs and clean up her lifestyle. I wasn't keen on any of the family members and there are so many misunderstandings and secrets that none of them know the truth about any of them and even at the end of the book you still don't know if they'll be okay or if they will all end up falling apart. I found it to be a bit incestuous too, which made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Maybe the next person to read this will enjoy it better than I have, understand it all more, AND review it better than me, who knows!

Taking this book along to the Loughborough Bookcrossing Unconvention this weekend, 22-24th September and adding to the book buffet. :)

Taken from the book buffet. Looked interesting, but reading your review I'm now wondering.