Thank you Libro.fm/Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Henry Holt, #partner for the advanced copy of The Accidental Favorite in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Henry Holt / Macmillan Audio
Published: June 24, 2025
Summary:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace Adams comes a wryly resonant and deeply moving family dramedy investigating the question so many of us have asked ourselves: do my parents have a favorite?
Vivienne and Patrick Fisher have done an excellent job raising their three daughters, Alex, Nancy, and Eva. They’re well-adjusted women with impressive careers, caring partners, exciting hobbies, and sweet children. So it’s with great anticipation that three generations of Fishers gather at a beautiful glass house in the English countryside for a weeklong celebration of Vivienne’s seventieth birthday. But when Patrick’s reaction to a freak accident on the first day of the trip inadvertently reveals that he has a favorite daughter, no one is prepared for the shockwaves it sends through the family.
Decades-old unresolved sibling rivalries are suddenly unmasked. And be it newly uncovered smoking habits, ancient crushes, or private doubts about life decisions both big and small, no one’s secrets are safe. Still-tender wounds are reopened amid an audience of friends, husbands, grandchildren, and even coworkers, and as the family’s past is re-written, they find themselves suddenly unmoored.
In a lively, poignant examination of memory, sisterhood, and family ties, Fran Littlewood reminds us just why it is that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
My thoughts:
As soon as I saw this book, I jumped at the chance to read it…as the oldest of seven children, I felt I would be the perfect audience for this book and boy was I right! A book about family dynamics – the good and bad seemed just up my alley and it was such an enjoyable read!
I love books that delve into any type of family drama, and when they specifically target sibling rivalry, I’m all in! This one was so much fun and I loved that it was smart, funny and also thought-provoking all in one. This character-driven story really made me take a step back and reflect on my own relationships with my siblings. At times an uncomfortable read, this book had me laughing, tearing up and cringing all at once. The long-held secrets, the rivalries, the tender relationships all come crashing to the surface when the gang gathers and I just couldn’t help but be reminded of how relatable this book is…so much of what I read happens each time I meet up with my family. Each character is so richly drawn, flaws and all, making them feel like real people. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was reading a book about my own family – the drama, the way life can be so messy at times – it’s that life-like and relatable.
This is the type of book that really would make for a great book club, especially with a bunch of members who have siblings. There is a lot to unpack and I think the discussion would be very lively!
Audio thoughts:
This was great on audio, with Fiona Button doing an amazing job bringing the story to life.
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