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DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY embeds a mystery, but it is actually much more of a puzzle made up of human pieces. June's daughter is getting married, and she has gathered her lover, the bride and groom, and her ex-husband into her home the night before the wedding. Something terrible happens, and the entire house goes up in flames, killing all of its occupants. June happens to be outside under the wedding tent when the tragedy strikes, and the rest of the book tells the story of her family and its demise from various perspectives while keeping the genesis of the fire a mystery until the end.
June's daughter, her nearly son-in-law, her lover, her lover's mother, and a family friend all have their moments as pieces of the puzzle. But we see June from the outside as well, when she flees the town of Wells, Connecticut, where she lost her family. She drives across the United States, meeting some characters and visiting some landscapes that provide focus to her suffering, finally ending up at the edge of the continent in a motel room on the beach in Washington state. Here her life intersects with the owners of the motel and its cleaning woman, filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle. There are many emotional moments throughout the book, but the story of the two women who run the motel is one of the most touching.
As the full picture comes into focus, the last few puzzle pieces explain the fire and the end of June's family. At that point, she starts to heal and recognize that the people who are caring for her in Washington are forming a new family to hold her close. The author, Bill Clegg, brings each character to life and manages to give each a distinct voice. This is quite an accomplishment, considering the number of characters who speak throughout the book. The writing about emotions and loss is exquisite, with each character dealing with this theme in a manner that is uniquely his or her own. The locations, on both sides of the country, are so well written that they become almost characters in their own right.
DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY reads like a thriller, pulling the reader through the story while at the same time it pulls the heartstrings. The structure of the book, with short sections about and from the perspective of different characters, helps move the pace along. In the end, there is resolution, but there is also a beginning. This is Clegg's fiction debut, and we can only hope that his next is as intense and beautiful as his first.
§ Sharon Mensing is the Head of School of Emerald Mountain School, an independent school in the mountains of Colorado, where she lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors.
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, January 2016
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