Hello From the Gillespies

For the past thirty-three years, Angela Gillespie has sent to friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled “Hello from the Gillespies.” It’s always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself—she tells the truth....

The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping badly with retirement. Her thirty-two-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can’t stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones.

Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when a bump on the head leaves Angela with temporary amnesia, the Gillespies pull together—and pull themselves together—in wonderfully surprising ways....


My Impressions: 
This was a beautiful story so full of life that I hated to see it end. I read some of the previous comments who thought the book read alot like  a soap opera and in a way I guess it did, but that is real life. It is messy, complicated, hurtful and yet full of love, laughter, forgiveness at the same time. I guess that is why I loved the Gillespie family so much. Yes, the family has tons of drama. They can be selfish, egotistical, combative and full of themselves, but they are family, although it takes them each a different path in life to realize this, they love each other and genuinely care for the welfare of one another. 

I loved this Australian mom who bares her soul in her annual Christmas letter and her poor husband who sends it to over 200 people without ever reading it first in an attempt to be helpful. I think we have all wanted to write a letter like this at some point in our lives, hopefully, without sending it though. This was the first book I read from Monica and I adored her writing style and the life she breathed into her characters. I also adored that the story's setting was in Australia and I got to learn a bit about the culture, landscape and live vicariously through Angela.Cannot wait to read some more by this author.

You can purchase this book here from Amazon.


About the Author:   
Monica McInerney is the award-winning, international bestselling author of ten previous novels: The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Those Faraday Girls, Odd One Out, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters, Spin the Bottle, Upside Down Inside Out, and A Taste for It. She grew up in Australia and has split her time between Australia and Ireland for twenty years.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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