Commonwealth
By Ann Patchett
Harper, Hardcover, 9780062491794,September 2016, 336pp.

The Short of It:

This is a story about two families and how the actions of one night affect them for decades.

The Rest of It:

One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating’s christening party uninvited. Before evening falls, he has kissed Franny’s mother, Beverly thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages and the joining of two families. (Indiebound)

Reading has been really difficult for me these past couple of months so I was really excited when I finally sat down to Commonwealth. As tragic as a story like this could be,  it’s not. There’s some sadness but clearly, this is a family that loves each other and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters. Plus, much of it is set in Southern California, which I loved. The story spans decades but never once did I lose interest.

I’m not sure if I will ever get around to posting my “best of” list this year but Commonwealth is definitely on it.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.