This is an intriguing novel that plays its cards close to its chest. Heron is an elderly man who has received a difficult diagnosis from his doctor. He has a strong bond with his daughter, Maggie, who he brought up as a single parent and he wonders how he will break the news to Maggie. But there is another story under the surface of this one, with some far more challenging news to break and as Heron and Maggie re-examine their relationship, more comes to light than Heron bargained for. This is quietly shocking and tenderly powerful. The writing is exquisite and the topic handled beautifully.

A beautifully written and carefully plotted novel by Clair Lynch. Set in 1982 and 2023, the story of Heron, Maggie and Dawn unfolds and explores family bonds, and how social and cultural expectations affect our lives, dreams and relationships. Quietly moving and tenderly powerful.

A moving and totally absorbing story that expertly combines a work of fiction with the harsh realities of a little-known side of 1980s history. Sympathetically-drawn characters show just how much accepted norms at that time, damaged so many innocent families and yet ends on a message of hope that there is still time for some of that damage to be undone.

When I was downloading this book to my Kindle I gave the first page a cursory read, not meaning to start it but was sucked in immediately.

We follow the story of Heron and his adult daughter Maggie who’s married with two children and who is most honestly one of the most relatable fictional characters I’ve ever read. Being a mother of two kids the same age I was just reading it thinking “yep, yep, yep” and sometimes “yep, FML”!

The story is a dual timeline between 1982 and present day and we slowly learn why Maggie’s mother is missing from her life. It’s an emotional and abhorrent case which the reader probably wishes is a work of fiction but sadly only serves to highlight the prejudices faced by gay mothers in the 80s and 90s in the Family Courts. My heart hurt for Maggie’s mother.

Beautifully written, an incredible debut, I will be keen to read more of Claire’s work in the future.

"A Family Matter" is a poignant and masterfully written novel that sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of British history and its lasting impact. The story seamlessly weaves together two timelines, 1982 and 2022, to explore the complexities of a single family's dynamics.

As the narrative unfolds, each family member takes center stage, creating an immersive experience. The non-linear plot skillfully intertwines the characters' past and present selves, revealing a quietly devastating twist.

One of the most compelling aspects of the story is the unintentional parallels between Maggie's life and her mother's, echoing each other across a 40-year gap.

This powerful novel not only explores the intricacies of family relationships but also delves into a pivotal yet often overlooked chapter in queer history. The book poignantly portrays the toxic environment faced by lesbian women in 1980s Britain, where they were unfairly labeled as "unnatural" and "corrupt."

I was deeply moved by this narrative and appreciated its thoughtful portrayal of a frequently underrepresented topic. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy.

What I Loved/Enjoyed About The Book:

Story/Writing/Structure:

* A story told in a simple yet powerful way with full of emotions, twist, secrets and love
* Family oriented storytelling which is easy to read and addictive


Background/A Bit Of The Plot Without Giving Anything Away:

* A Story about A Family, Secrets, Trauma, Love & Culture
* Based on a few characters and all of them play their role to make it a great story

I Highly Recommend This Book I Will Give This 5 Out Of 5 Stars

An important book that shines a light into an injustice against women which persisted in fairly recent history. Heron brought his daughter Maggie up on his own, with the help of his mother. Maggie knows very little about her own mother. She has a precious relationship with Heron but they don't talk about many things, including this. Heron shows his love by fixing things at Maggie's house.
A gentle and beguiling story, beautifully written. A fantastic debut from Claire Lynch.

Heron has had a visit to the doctor which hasn't gone well. He hasn't told his daughter Maggie about it.

But that's not the only thing he's been keeping from her.

The other thing is decades old...

Book review: A family matter , by @clairellynch .
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A mother following her heart
A father with the law on his side
A child caught in the middle

It’s 2022, and Heron, an old man of quiet habits, has just had the sort of visit to the doctor that turns a life upside down. Sharing the diagnosis with Maggie, his only daughter, seems impossible. Heron just can’t find the words to tell her about it, or any of the other things he’s been protecting her from for so long.

It’s 1982, and Dawn is a young wife and mother penned in by the expectations of her time and place. Then Hazel comes into her life like a torch in the dark. It’s the kind of connection that’s impossible to resist, and suddenly Dawn’s world is more joyful, and more complicated, than she ever expected. But Dawn has responsibilities, she has commitments: Dawn has Maggie..
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Oh what a emotional and wonderful book. I went in blind with this book , not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing . This was such an emotional rollercoaster of a book cannot believe that the events in this book actually took place in the 1980s. We have come so far as a society with LGBTQ we have still a long way to go get .
This book had my whole heart and more. I was so shocked with the events that happened as the main character Heron did not come across the person he was years ago . @clairellynch your writing is phenomenal..
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#bookish #bookworm #bookaholic #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #netgalley #booknerd #bookstack #bookstagramer #bookblogger

I enjoyed this from start to finish. It was beautifully written and full of sadness - I had no idea that this was happening to women so recently. I do hope attitudes have changed now. A good book-group read.

Claire Lynch’s A Family Matter is a beautifully written and deeply moving debut novel that explores the devastating consequences of one woman’s affair, unravelling the intricate threads of love, secrets, and heartache. Set across two timelines, it presents a poignant narrative about the complexities of relationships and how past choices shape the present.

In 1982, Dawn is a young mother, adjusting to life with her husband and their daughter. However, everything changes when she meets Hazel, and a powerful connection sparks between them. This love, undeniable and consuming, complicates Dawn’s life in ways she never imagined. While her newfound joy brings her closer to Hazel, it also pulls her further from the responsibilities she cannot abandon—her marriage and her child.

Fast forward to 2022, and Heron, now an older man, faces a life-altering diagnosis. For years, his life has been a quiet routine, and now, with the weight of his secret growing, he struggles to tell his only child, Maggie, about the illness that threatens his future. But more than his diagnosis, there are the long-buried secrets—ones that have defined his relationship with Maggie, shaping their bond in ways she’s never understood.

A Family Matter is an exploration of love, loss, intimacy, and the injustices faced by those in same-sex relationships during a time when such partnerships were considered immoral. As Dawn’s affair and Heron’s hidden past come to light, the emotional fallout is inevitable. Lynch paints a heart-wrenching picture of the damage caused by societal judgment, but she also holds space for the hope that can emerge when buried truths are finally faced.

What makes this novel so compelling is Lynch’s masterful characterisation. Dawn, Heron, and Maggie are all deeply flawed yet utterly human, each carrying the weight of their actions and decisions in ways that are both heartbreaking and relatable. The prose is vivid and striking, making every moment of pain and revelation feel real and raw. The ending offers a glimmer of hope, a sense of resolution after so much turmoil, which is both satisfying and deeply emotional.

A Family Matter is a powerful meditation on love, regret, and the possibility of healing from the wounds of the past. It’s a book that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page, offering both heartache and the possibility of redemption. I loved it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys deeply emotional stories with unforgettable characters.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Thatcher’s Britain.
We follow a family, from 1982 until 2022. Not everything between. Or everything in-between is not openly spelled out, but hinted at.
Dawn is punished for her identity.
Years later, her daughter Maggie finds out the many secrets kept from her.
A quick but emotional read. I wish this were longer.
Plot 4.5
Characterisation 4.5
Writing 4
Topics and themes 5

This book is heart breaking, it’s not a true story but it’s based on true life during the times. Based over a 40 year period starting in 1982. This was the year I was born, I never realised how bad in MY LIFETIME it really was for lesbian mums. My wife and I have a child and it’s just almost part of normal life. I remember section 28 in school, I remember my parents voting to not have homosexuality taught to their children. I had a friend whose mum turned out to be gay and left and her dad got custody. And we all called her mum names we didn’t understand as little 8 year olds. She went back to him eventually. Probably just so she could see her kids.

This book is so raw and full of emotion. It makes you so angry and hurt and also feel proud of how far we have come so far. Excellent writing.

I received this book as an ARC from the author for my honest review.

I would rate this 10 stars if I could. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to put into words just how much I loved this book.

This is probably one of the most unique and outstanding pieces of work I have ever read. It evoked so many emotions. It broke my heart and it warmed my heart.

The dual timeline is perfectly used - it doesn’t cause any confusion but instead allows the reader to gain an understanding of the bigger picture and to get to know the characters.

The author very delicately, respectfully and perfectly captures how different things were in the 1980s - for parents, for queer people, for children.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book, it will stay on my shelf forever!

Phenomenal. I will be thinking about this book for a long time, couldn’t reccomend it more. Such an important read. Highly emotive, moving and devastating.

Whenever I am reading a new book, I wonder what my book club would think. A Family Matter by Clare Lynch would definitely make a brilliant book club choice. Absorbing, emotional and a very interesting suibject. There is so much to talk about and explore with a group.
I am a fan of stories revealed over two time frames, as long as it is done well. This is beautifully written, well plotted and paced. I couldn't fault it.
I am just hoping that my book club pick it, as I want to read it again. An easy five stars from me.

I have had to let this emotional story settle in my mind for a few days before writing a review.
First of all, the quality of writing is excellent and the description of the characters so good that I felt I knew them by the end of the book.

Heron has some shattering news but doesn’t immediately share it with his daughter Maggie which is in some ways surprising as he has brought her up alone after his wife Dawn left the family home when Maggie was three years old. It is difficult to describe Heron and Maggie’s relationship. He is there for her in practical ways and always on hand to repair items around the home she shares with her husband and two children. As Heron himself admits this is the way he shows his love for her. He is clearly not a demonstrative person when it comes to showing affection. Heron, it seems does carry some guilt for taking the action he took in the past which was not entirely his fault as his mother and the legal system took a hand in telling him what he should do in the situation.

We meet Dawn, Maggie’s Mum in 1982 and it is clear that she loves Maggie dearly so what can possibly have happened to make her leave her three year old child? It soon became clear that once the court knew of Dawn’s relationship with Hazel she stood absolutely no chance of keeping her daughter.
When I found out I was shocked and devastated. How could this happen in the early 1980’s and be considered in the best interests of a small child? Dawn never left Maggie, she was taken from her.

I felt such sadness for Dawn and was so happy when mother and her grown up daughter were reunited but what a price Dawn had to pay for following her heart, her child snatched away from her. Even though she did her best to keep Maggie the court system was loaded against her. Time lost with her young daughter, never to be recovered. My thanks to the author and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of this book.

A Family Matter by Claire Lynch

Set in 1982 and 2022 we discover how Heron, now at the end of his life, came to bring up his daughter Maggie alone, and how Dawn his ex-wife was banished from their lives.

Wow, this book is perfection and deserves to win prizes! It's short but really packs a punch - so beautiful and powerful. The author's characters are so real and the story so heartbreaking and rage-inducing. Honestly it's just perfection... very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I was honestly blown away by this book and the journey the author managed to take us on in a fairly short book. It’s really is a blistering debut.

The book starts out quite light hearted which was surprising considering it starts with a cancer diagnosis. As the story winds on and we meet all the characters we quickly become invested in them. It’s a testament to the authors writing prowess that she manages to make them all feel so full without resorting to overly lengthy and prosaic prose.

As the story progresses it quickly becomes clear that there is more at play than just people who aren’t happy about how their lives have turned out. When the penny drops at about the half way point and the ending we are hurtling towards becomes painfully clear you have no choice but to hold on and ride it out.

It’s truly heartbreaking and painful to realise that this story represents what so many people had to experience not so long ago. This will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse for the eARC