Grown Ups

Grown Ups by Irish author, Marian Keyes, is about the Casey family - three brothers, their wives, children plus extended family members. Through the stories of the wives of the brothers the plot evolves allowing the reader to also get to know the other members of this large family.

Jessie, married to Johnny, loves organising, and paying for, large family gatherings that everyone must attend. She runs her own business with the assistance of her husband and is definitely a control freak. Cara married Ed, a botanist and quieter member of the trio of brothers. Cara has a successful job working in reception at a swish hotel but she has low self esteem. Nell designs sets for stage productions and recently married Liam. As the family saga evolves Nell questions why she married her husband. 

There are also nine children - two from Jessie's first marriage plus three from her relationship with Johnny, Cara and Ed have two sons while Liam has two daughters from a previous marriage. All the children seem to like each other and generally get along well together at the many family functions they attend. 

It can be confusing, especially at first, working out who is who in this novel, but fortunately there is a family tree at the beginning of the book to check if necessary.

 At Johnny's birthday party Cara, who is not well, blurts out a number of family secrets that effectively destabilise the relationships between the grown ups present. During the book the reader has learned, ofter via back stories, of the questionable behaviour of some of the adults, though needless to say chaos occurs when family secrets are publically aired. Re-evaluation of lifestyle plus some introspection is required by the grown ups after Cara's revelations about members of the Casy family.

This a long but generally easy to read and often humourous book about an Irish dysfunctional family.