The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth
Last weekend, I read the soon-to-be-released novel, The Family Next Door, by Sally Hepworth. And, it was just as advertised - perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty.
The novel focuses on a suburban neighborhood in Australia and four different women who live inside it. Sound familiar? ;) This novel focuses centrally on the character, Essie, a mother who becomes quickly entranced with her newest neighbor, the childless Isabelle. However, Essie's previous experience with postpartum depression causes her husband and her mother to be on high alert now that she has a second child. After the birth of her first child, Essie left her daughter alone in a park and had a breakdown. Consequently, her strange obsession with her new neighbor raises red flags.
However, mixed with Essie's story are two other neighborhood women raising their own children and dealing with their own issues - depression, adultery, and lots of secrets. The other women provide clear contrasts to each other. Additionally, while all women are in a similar life season, the novel works well to show that we never truly know what is going on behind closed doors. It raises questions about what it means to be a mother and a wife. And, I like books that allow me to ask what I would do if I were in similar situations - and this book has enough plausible situations to allow room for these questions.
Hepworth does an excellent job of developing characters and keeping readers engaged in the plot. It is a novel you will not want to put down! Plus, there is a major twist that I never saw coming. I was genuinely surprised, which is something since this genre has taken off in recent years (female-driven character family dramas with a surprise twist).
This book will be released March 6, 2018.
Thank you to Netgalley for sharing this book with me so I could write an honest review.
