A book set in the house. Interesting characters, tons of secrets. ( )

Cat Shook gives us a different take on "coming out" as a beloved grandfather is outed at his funeral by his best friend and long-term lover. Here, we don't learn about the grandfather's struggle or how his relationships with his family change after the revelation, but how his wife, children, and grandchildren process the news, and how it makes them reflect on their own lives. A well-done picture of grief and the celebration of a life, even one that wasn't what everyone thought. ( )

If I'm being honest (see what I did there?) I would like to give this book 4.5 stars. I took a star because I spent the first few chapters trying to keep all the characters straight and flipping back and forth to the (merciful) family tree at the beginning of the book. I wondered if I would just abandon it, but in the end, I'm glad I didn't. This is a classic family drama, which takes place during the week of a patriarch's funeral. Grandpa Gerald/Gerry/Gere has died, and all the adult children and grandchildren return to the (hot, sticky, sweltering) town of Eulalia, Georgia to commiserate with the widow, Ellen, and their various relations. A bombshell is dropped at the funeral, but that is only the beginning of the gradual uncovering of secrets, in the form of pregnancy, sexuality, personality, and yes, dishonesty. Most of the characters were quite well-drawn, with a few standing out as particularly unique and, probably, recognizable to most readers. The family members move through the week, processing their grief and their individual truths, and by the time the second uniting event happens, most have been uncovered and acknowledged. I loved the natural writing -- the author is skilled at creating realistic dialogue between characters of different generations, as well as inner monologues, and the perspective switched between characters pretty seamlessly as well, which allowed the narrative to flow. I'm glad I persevered. ( )

If We’re Being Honest, by Cat Shook, is a gentle, feel-good Southern family story, a mini-family saga packed into one eventful week.

It begins with a shocking secret revealed at grandfather Gerry’s funeral, and includes his wife, their children and grandchildren. I have to admit I found it difficult to keep track of all the relatives for the first couple of chapters, which was a stressor for me reading other family stories, like The Cazalet Chronicles and Last Summer at the Golden Hotel. It paid off after a couple chapters, of course, as the generations and relationships came into focus.

If We’re Being Honest takes place in just one week, beginning with the extended family in town for Gerry’s funeral, and including a wedding for a neighbor and close family friend. This week is filled with connections and revelations, as secrets come out and characters discover their paths. Overall, there’s a lot of drama, but no real tension. There’s not a moment of doubt that everything will work out well for every single family member, it’s just a question of what working out will look like, and enjoying the path there.

I liked the tolerance they all had for each other, even though much of the plot comes from secrets coming out. I liked how the family rolled with Carol Anne’s fourth husband, and his speech about being a mild and kind of dull person who’s enthralled with her constant, dramatic hijinks.

Mostly, the story takes unexpected turns and introduces non-trad resolutions for the characters’ situations. But I rolled my eyes at a certain romantic argument, partly because a forced third-act breakup is one of my unfavorite devices, and partly because the rest of the novel really celebrated relationships that didn’t follow the expected storyline, so Forced Argument and Obligatory Makeup was particularly annoying.

Overall, this was a warm family story, full of large and small surprises. ( )

This book reminded me of the opening to Anna Karenina: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Each of these characters is unhappy in their own way, but their fierce love for each other tugs on your heart.

The Williams family is gathered for the funeral of their patriarch, bringing kids and grandkids back to the sort of sleepy suburbs where someone mysteriously planting magnolia trees around town was a big topic of discussion.

It was filled with funny lines as the author builds an eccentric cast of characters.

Some of my faves:

“Although deflating Grant’s ego often felt like the most important thing people in his life could do for him, she understood why the producers of the Bachelorette had cast him. There really was just something about him.”

“Since when is disturbing the piece considered romantic?”

“He kissed her, and Alice worried that he could feel the snot running down her nose from the crying, their faces smushed together as they were. Then she realized she was pretty sure this meant yes, she should move to Texas, which meant she had locked him down for life, so she could actually probably rub as much snot on him as she pleased.” ( )