Down with the Shipmans

Finished April 12

Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore

This contemporary novels is set around a family. It is early June, and the three Shipman sisters are returning to the family beach house in New Hampshire, which was first owned by their mother's parents. Calvin, their father, has asked them to come for a family reunion. But there are also other plans to sell the house that they learn of once they get there. The atmosphere is sometimes tense and there are resentments around certain things. Calvin's second wife, of less than a year, was also the women's mother's palliative nurse before she died and is older than them, but much younger than their father. She will be arriving shortly after the women, and some of them haven't come to terms with the marriage yet. 

Mae is the youngest daughter and she is driving from Denver, where she is near the edge of what she can handle, couch surfing at friends' places, with a job training dogs. She is currently training a recovering abused dog for its owner who is traveling for work. Natalie, the middle sister, is married to a dairy farmer. Her husband grew up on a dairy farm in Montana, but the couple own and run a farm in Vermont. They have three children, and have been talking about a fourth. 

Natalie began supplementing their income with a social media channel some years ago, and has been building that presence, with a featured article in a national paper just-released. A comment that her husband made during the interview for the article has been taken somewhat out of context and has begun creating backlash for her. 

Jordan, the oldest, is a well-regarded crisis communication expert in New York City. She has been put into a situation where she must choose between her employer and the truth. 

As they handle their individual problems, reluctant to share them with each other, they must also face their father's situation and come to terms with how he is moving forward with his life. 

With everyone at a point of decision in their lives, this book gives the reader a lot to think about. I really enjoyed the depth of the characters and watching them grow through their situations. They grow closer through this few weeks of summer, as they find themselves truly reflecting on their own wants and needs not others' expectations. Moore is great with family stories and this book is great around the many emotions these three central characters have. We get glimpses of the personality of the new wife, but she is definitely a minor character. I'd love to see a follow-up around her.