The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

A Reagan Arthur Book
Little, Brown and Company
Release Date:May 25, 2011
ISBN-10: 0316097713
ISBN-13: 978-0316097710

Ginny and William Owens have grown comfortable in their "empty nest".  Their youngest child moved out 5 years ago. They enjoy their quiet times, Ginny volunteering at church, William reading his newspapers and working in the gardens. A nice relaxing life.

Then their daughter Lillian arrives for an unexpected "visit" with newborn baby Phillip and 3-year old Olivia in tow. Husband Tom is "home, buried in work."

Then a few days later Stephen arrives with his pregnant wife Jane for a short weekend visit.  Stephen is going to be the stay-at-home Dad when the baby arrives and Jane will return to her high pressure, high paying job just 3 short weeks after the baby is born.

Daughter Rachel is not far behind, her life is crashing around her both financially and emotionally as her boyfriend leaves her.  She needs some time at home to sort things out.

Ginny and William's empty nest is soon overflowing with family and their entire summer will be disrupted as their children are all facing very difficult issues.  The days of a kiss, a hug, and a band-aid are long over. They have put the parenthood hats back on the help their children as only parents can.

Life as a parent never ends, whether your kids are 2 or 62, until of course the parent is no longer alive.  Part of being a parent is to always be there for your children, no matter what they are facing.

This is a wonderful debut novel depicting modern family life and problems, bringing a family together to cope, learning responsibility and forgiveness and how to survive life today in this fast-paced world.

I must say William and Ginny showed so much patience as their home was overtaken by their children but I can say that is what parents do today.  A lot of children are living at home longer or moving home just because with this economy they can't make it on their own.  It doesn't even have to be the problems this family faced. It is hard for young people to make it on their own today and a lot of them stay longer than a summer.

This story was nicely paced, the characters were very relate-able, and I really liked the dialogue between all the characters, very well written. The story is interspersed with humor and wit that makes the story even more real and enjoyable.

This would be a great summer beach read. Another perfect "escape" story.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Hachette Book Group.. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meg Mitchell Moore worked for several years as a journalist. Her work has been published in Yankee, Continental, Women’s Health, Advertising Age and many other business and consumer magazines. She received a B.A. from Providence College and a master’s degree in English Literature from New York University. The Arrivalsis her first novel. Her second novel will be published by Reagan Arthur Books in 2012. Meg lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with her husband, their three children and a beloved border collie.

Check out Meg's Web Page.