Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg

Audio book:  7 hours.

Read by the author.

Usually the phrase "read by the author" is a deal killer for me with audio books.  Maybe I was in a rush or didn't notice when I was at the library, but I was in the car and needed a book, so even when it announced read by the author, I decided to give it a try.  Better than nothing, right?

The story is about a gas explosion that kills a family on the eve of the daughter's wedding.  The bride's mother, June, is the only survivor.  The novel is told from many viewpoints, but the characterization is so good, that it is (mostly) easy to keep track of who is who.  While I wouldn't call this chick-lit, it is a slow moving story about people and their lives.  The backstory of the characters is told and you ultimately see how interwoven society really is.

5 stars.