‘You Only Call When You’re In Trouble’ by Stephen McCauley follows the family unit of Tom, Cecily, and Dorothy. With humor, honesty, and warmth it enr‘You Only Call When You’re In Trouble’ by Stephen McCauley follows the family unit of Tom, Cecily, and Dorothy. With humor, honesty, and warmth it enraptures the complicated mess of family, relationships, career turmoil, and setting boundaries to save your well-being.
Brother and Sister, Tom and Dorothy have a relationship that is more similar to a parent and child. Tom has always taken the role of being a responsible caretaker while Dorothy has been a free-spirited nonconformist in all aspects of her life, including motherhood. This has left Tom playing surrogate father to his niece Cecily since Dorothy claims to not know the identity of Cecily’s birth father.
The story begins as this dysfunctional co-dependent dynamic has reached its boiling point…
Alan, Tom's boyfriend has left him since he always prioritizes Cecily. While heartbroken and in denial, his new work struggles have him scheming to make sure he’s not forced into an early retirement.
Cecily’s battling a Title IX investigation due to an encounter with her student has put her career and her relationship in jeopardy.
Dorothy is risking everything for her latest endeavor while deciding to reveal a secret she has kept from her family for decades.
This book was like a family reunion gone wrong in the best way. I LOVED the writing style and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot. It’s so fun when the build-up in tension for each character's storylines all collide together. The pacing worked for me as Stephen seamlessly shifted POVs between the 3 of them and the side characters were great additions that made me laugh a lot.
We all play roles in our families that can be difficult to shake and what has worked in the past might not work forever. I haven’t read this type of family unit before and it was so refreshing. All of their separate dramas were interesting and even though I didn’t want to say goodbye to the characters, im happy it ended with realistic and cathartic conclusions for them all.
If you like reading about complicated family relationships with sarcastic dry humor and a teeny bit of romance, I recommend adding to your TBR!
“Hearing a story — what did it accomplish? Nothing and everything.”
So much of our lives are out of our control, from where we are born to who our pare“Hearing a story — what did it accomplish? Nothing and everything.”
So much of our lives are out of our control, from where we are born to who our parents are. We didn’t choose to take after our father's eyes or our mother’s height. We didn’t choose to be born in a country with inherent privilege, while others were born in a country of immense repression and political turmoil. Or a family where I love you is said naturally without hesitation, while for others, it can only be expressed through tough love.
All of these things make it difficult to accept how little agency we have in our lives. How much is fate, and what is within our control?
In ‘Real Americans, ’ we see what happens when one decision to claim control of your family sends a rippling wave of consequences that question what lengths are justified and what is exercising control beyond the boundaries of ethics.
The story is split into three parts, following three generations within a family: grandmother, daughter, and grandson. We are taken across 70 years—from China during Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward to New York during Y2K and 2030, a not-so-distant future. I’m intentionally keeping the plot and characters vague, as I think this story is best told by knowing as little as possible and experiencing and uncovering as you go.
This story is why I get so much fulfillment from multigenerational family sagas. In real life, we do not know all the decisions and circumstances that led to who our parents and grandparents are. We are forced to find answers to the secrets kept and the untold stories. So, it feels like a refreshing opportunity to be presented with a full lineage and see each generation blend into the next. My compassion often expands, and my criticisms are reduced. As we see with this family, we all deserve to give our loved ones more empathy because even if we disagree with their decisions, everyone is doing the best with the cards they've been dealt.
“But what if I’d been born someone else, a place where, whoever you were, you could make your own choices? That was all I wanted. Not a grand wish, just a fair one.”
So many things stood out to me—starting with the relationship with time and whether intentions can redeem the harm of one's actions. Hearing someone’s intentions makes you feel so much but changes so little. The veil and consequences of propaganda are strong in every country, whether we realize it or not.
This story has a lot of love, and all the different forms and shapes were hopeful and heartbreaking. Lastly, as the daughter of immigrant parents, the immigrant experience I always feel very emotional reading, and in this case, hearing about the Chinese diaspora was equally emotional and very layered.
“But it was a mistake, believing you could choose for someone else, no matter how well-intentioned you might be.”
I don’t think I’ve universally felt so much empathy for each main character in a story before. I have only positive things to say! I loved the ending. Every time I reflect, I pick up on something else I love. The structure, science elements, full-circle moments, and plot twists all worked for me. I cannot wait for more people to read.
Thank you so much for the ARC. Rachel, congratulations! It's cemented as one of my favorites of the year....more
“It’s always better to know than not know. I’m sure of that”
I love reading translated fiction. First published in 1988 and was an instant bestse3.5⭐️
“It’s always better to know than not know. I’m sure of that”
I love reading translated fiction. First published in 1988 and was an instant bestseller in Japan.
Just under 150 pages ‘The Premonition’ follows Yayoi who is 19 years old, comes from a loving family, and is a bit clairvoyant. However, she struggles to uncover the meaning behind this unsettling feeling. Yayoi cannot shake the fact that she has forgotten something important about her childhood and decides to live with her mysterious aunt Yukino for a bit as she tries to uncover the truth.
“It’s kind of tragic, I thought, how we can never completely escape our childhood”
I haven’t read any story like this. A mystery that is eerie with a secret revelation I did not see coming. Banana’s writing style made this such an easy read that was the perfect escapism I was looking for.
Stories about families are my favorite and I liked reading about the battle between the family you have vs the family you lost. I normally always enjoy the inclusion of romance...HOWEVER, this one had me working overtime to not derail me from the story. If you read you know exactly what I'm referring to…I've seen others use the word taboo to describe it so let's go with that…
Overall, I’m happy to have read my first Yoshimoto and will be adding ‘Kitchen’ to my TBR!
Thank you counterpointpress for the gifted copy! ...more
“Here, the women of my family all met under one sign, stamped by what confining fates we had been handed. A girl had no choice in the family that made“Here, the women of my family all met under one sign, stamped by what confining fates we had been handed. A girl had no choice in the family that made her. No choice in the many names that followed her… “
Safiya Sinclair’s debut memoir ‘How to Say Babylon’ is a coming-of-age retelling of her life growing up in Jamaica in a Rastafari household and how she changed her fate with the help of poetry and her mother’s support.
Her poetry talents shine throughout this story as her words physically place you in her body and mind as she recounts her life. As mentioned in the book, most people (myself included) have a very limited and inaccurate perception of Jamaica. While outsiders believe the Rastafari culture and movement is the norm in Jamaica, Safiya explains how that is the furthest from the truth and they are outliers and ostracized.
The history of the Rastafarian movement and its teachings were very interesting to me and how it was birthed from an anti-colonial movement and inspired by Haile Selassie, an emperor from Ethiopia (the only African nation to never be colonized). This added beneficial context to their worldview specifically her father’s who was a dominant and controlling presence in her life.
Unfortunately, many women have had to deal with the misplaced anger and frustration from the men in their lives and few can break the cycle [to no fault of their own] and set themselves free. Safiya’s bravery and rebellion were vital not for her own life, but also for the rest of the women in her family. An unimaginable burden that was painful to hear but one whose benefits are evident in the independence and freedom the women in her family now can have.
Stories like Safiya are a vital remainder in the power of resilience, sacrifice, forgiveness, education, and the effects of generational trauma.
Overall, a five-star read and listen! I listened on audio as well since Safiya does the recording and it was moving hearing her story through her voice.
I’m glad Safiya that you were able to write your story from a place of safety. Thank you Simon for the copy! One of the best memoirs I’ve ever read and the most five stars we've had for bookclub!...more
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