The Nearly Happy Family

by Catherine McKinnon

Claire Delaney is an obstreperous fifteen year old, and her mother, Jackie, is a bit of a flake. They both have a lot on their plates, trying to keep to keep the younger children in their family together after the tragic death of their father. They're driving each other crazy. Jackie can't keep off the booze, and has decided to remarry a younger man, much to Claire's disgust. While Jackie embarks on a new pathway, that includes reworking long-held principles as well as getting her stand-up comedy career back on track, Claire apprentices herself to Nino Milani, a volatile if somewhat chauvinistic chef, who teaches her the secrets of his kitchen. But Nino's impact on Claire begins to affect Jackie too, in ways that are both unexpected and confusing. Around the warmth of the kitchen table, they both discover that life - like all the best recipes - is both mysterious and mysteriously simple. This is a witty look at the difficulty of dealing with the past in order to take on the future, a story about the foibles of love, the triumphs and disasters, and about the compassion, awkwardness and indignity of family life.

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Catherine McKinnon is a novelist, playwright, and director. She studied at Flinders University Drama Centre and then became a founding member of the Red Shed Theatre Company. Over a nine-year period she worked for the Shed as a writer, director, dramaturg, and co-artistic coordinator. She directed, and with company members and writers, helped develop, many new Australian plays. During this time she also freelanced to the State Theatre Company of SA. After leaving Adelaide she completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UTS Sydney, and worked for April Films, on a documentary about the making of Jindabyne, before undertaking a PhD at Flinders University, which included a creative project, (a novel), and an exegesis. In 2006 she won the Penguin Women’s Weekly Award for her short story Haley and the Sea.

Reviews

[Sharon McKinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes a few chapters to get the hang of each chapter swapping ftom mother to daughter.

[Lewis Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

there are some great bones here

[Bronwyn Rodden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This visceral story of a imperfect family will resonate with many readers. Its deeply emotional exploration of relationships and the difficulties of coping with everyday life for its characters carries the reader into dark and sublime places.

[Lara Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read