Play Book Tag discussion

Commonwealth is the story of two families connected through divorce and remarriage. Bert Cousins is attending the christening of Franny, the new baby born to Beverly and Fix Keating. After drinking too much, Bert kisses Beverly, telling her she is the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. Neither of them know that before long their marriages will fall apart and they will blend their families together.

The tragedy that really drives this novel occurs a decade later when Bert and Beverly sleep late one morning, leaving the children on their own. The story jumps forward in time and spans fifty years following all of the children into adulthood. The reader witnesses how each of them dealt with their parents' divorce and the resulting tragedy. Years later, Franny falls in love with Leon Posen, a famous American writer, and she tells him stories of her childhood. He turns those into a successful book called Commonwealth.

I wasn't a huge fan of this story. I know so many dysfunctional families, including my own, of course, so the story of a blended family and all their problems just wasn't much of a surprise. None of the characters really interested me enough to care about their problems. I understand why so many people liked it, but I'm just not one of them.