The Family Way - Review

Synopsis

It should be the most natural thing in the world. But in Tony Parsons’ latest bestseller, three couples discover that Mother Nature can be one hell of a bitch.

Paulo loves Jessica. He thinks that together they are complete – a family of two.
But Jessica can't be happy until she has a baby, and the baby stubbornly refuses to come. Can a man and a woman ever really be a family of two?

Megan doesn't love her boyriend anymore. After a one-night stand with an Australian beach bum, she finds that even a trainee doctor can slip up on the family planning.

Should you bring a child into the world if you don't love its father?

Cat loves her life. After bringing up her two youngest sisters, all she craves is freedom. Her older boyfriend has done the family thing before and is in no rush to do it all again. But can a modern woman really find true happiness without ever being in the family way?

Three sisters. Three couples. Two pregnancies. Six men and women struggling with love, sex, fertility and the meaning of family.

Synopsis

Tony Parsons exceeds in creating drama with simple prose, great characters and relatable family dramas. The Family Way was at times moving, engaging and effortless. It didn't try too hard, with the dialogue flowing beautifully. However it did feel as though Tony Parsons was a man in a woman's world, trying to understand and failing miserably. The Book stumbles upon a subject that I felt Tony Parsons was ill equipped to navigate. The Book centers around three sisters: Cat, Jessica and Megan and the men in their lives. He addresses three women's attitudes towards motherhood questioning whether all woman want babies. 



It does preach about motherhood and places it on a pedestal and at times doesn't recognize that some women do not want to be mothers. It was very judgmental and although the drama was real and conceivable, I found it difficult to relate on a deeper level with any of the characters.I enjoyed some parts of this books immensely but other times I was cringing or annoyed with Tony Parsons for failing to understand the female mind as he often succumbs to cliches.