ALL HAPPY FAMILIES A Memoir

Although the author's wedding frames the events of this memoir, it is her mother--imperious, manipulative, intelligent, and protective--who is the focus of this memoir, thanks in part to Gabra Zackman's evocative narration. Just days before the wedding, McCulloch's alcoholic father suffered a stroke and went into a coma that he never emerged from. McCulloch uses the occasion of the wedding to explore both her parents' marriage and her in-laws,' painting an incisive portrait of two very different families and lifestyles. Zackman uses distinct voices for each of the many characters. The male voices sometimes sound forced, but the women, especially McCulloch's affected mother and her steady, loving mother-in-law, sound natural, vivid, and memorable. E.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2018]