Kindle
$8.49
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Paperback
$16.75
Audio CD
—
Kindle Price: $8.49

Save $0.50 (6%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $13.62

Save: $6.13 (45%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Reilly, Meg Little
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Misfortunes of Family: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Meg Little Reilly (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
See all formats and editions
WHAT BRINGS A FAMILY TOGETHER CAN ALSO TEAR IT APART

The Bright family is the picture of perfection—attractive, competitive and a bit badly behaved. As the four adult sons of retired senator John Bright head with their partners to the annual family reunion, they have everything they need, except self-awareness. This year the senator has agreed to let a producer document the reunion at the lake house. Of course, they let their guard down.

As petty jealousies surface, Philip, the youngest, reveals a surprising personal decision that earns the ribbing—or is it scorn?—of his brothers, JJ, Spencer and Charlie. Then the senator unexpectedly announces his desire for another political run. Not everyone is on board, especially matriarch Patty, who is keenly aware of the toll it will take on their private lives. Suddenly closely held family secrets start tumbling out and keep coming, including the biggest one that will rock this family to the core.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    MIRA
  5. Publication date
    February 4, 2020
  6. File size
    930 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Reilly's family creation is all too real and, ultimately, sympathetic. Recommended for all fiction collections." --Booklist

“There's plenty of intrigue around the Brights who, while servants to the people, in many ways are slaves to themselves. Family flaws and confidences start tearing at the fabric of this poised and perfect band….The tension rises, exposing the human frailty inherent in us all.”—Bennington Banner

"Meg Little Reilly is a masterful storyteller, moving seamlessly with honesty, humor, and cringing familiarity. I was enchanted with The Misfortunes of Family from the first pages; my delight and astonishment swelledall the way to the surprising shore at its end."--Lisa Carey, author of The Stolen Child

“Secrets are revealed and family bonds tested… in Reilly's character-driven study of American privilege.” --Seven Days


 PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF MEG LITTLE REILLY

"A skillfully wrought tale of atonement in a frame of psychological suspense."
--Booklist, onEverything That Follows

"A novel that stays surprising from beginning to end and refuses to provide easy answers for the moral quandaries at its heart... Riveting."
- Suzanne Berne, author of The Dogs of Littlefield, on Everything That Follows



"Blockbuster fiction at its most thought-provoking and sophisticated."
 - Brooklyn Digest, on Everything That Follows


"Smart, taut, and seductive, Reilly’s second novel immediately catches you in its grip and doesn’t let you go."
—Michelle Hoover, author of Bottomland and The Quickening, on Everything That Follows


"Taut with moral complexity and a subtly building tension, this is the kind of story that punishes you if you dare to put it down."
—Kim Cross, New York Times Bestselling author of What Stands in a Storm, on Everything That Follows


"Timely and terrifying."
 --Publishers Weekly, on We Are Unprepared


"An emotional and captivating journey."
--Buzzfeed, on We Are Unprepared

About the Author

Meg Little Reilly is a former Treasury spokesperson under President Obama, deputy communications director for the Office of Management and Budget, communicator for the Environmental Defense Fund, and producer for Vermont Public Radio. A native of Vermont, she is an UVM graduate with deep ties around the state. She currently lives in Boston with her husband and two daughters.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07FDB5JFB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MIRA; Original edition (February 4, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 4, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 930 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reilly, Meg Little

Reilly, Meg Little

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Meg Little Reilly is the author of the novels THE MISFORTUNES OF FAMILY, EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS, and WE ARE UNPREPARED. She is a writer at Bennington College, an essayist, public radio commentator, and outdoors enthusiast. Prior to writing novels, Meg worked in national politics and the White House. She holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont and an M.A. from the George Washington University. These days, she lives in rural Vermont with her family.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
32 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jean B. Marchildon
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific novel!
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
A terrific novel - perfect for the times we live in.
Helpful
 Report
She Treads Softly
3.0 out of 5 stars recommended family drama
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2020
The Misfortunes of Family by Meg Little Reilly is a recommended family drama.

The Bright family is a political family. Newly retired senator John Bright and his wife Patty have four sons: JJ (John Junior), Spencer, Charlie, and Phillip. Every summer they have the sons and their partners for a family reunion at their lake house in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. It is a stressful time for "the extras," as JJ's wife Mary-Beth and Spencer's husband Ian call themselves. The older three Bright boys are all dominated by their father and their mother still mothers them throughout the reunion. The youngest son, Phillip, who has always been an outlier in the family, makes an announcement that further sets him apart.

This summer is different and ripe for more stress for the extras than usual for two reasons. First the reunion is three weeks long instead of the usual one. Secondly, this summer a documentary filmmaker will be filming the entire Bright family the whole time. It is a situation ripe for tension and highly guarded secrets are certainly going to be exposed. Family reunions are usually fraught with underlying tension. How many families can withstand potentially having all their secrets uncovered?

The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of the extras and Farah, the filmmaker, as they observe the sometimes larger-than-life Brights. The three weeks is full of drama, unbelievable stress, emotional releases, some self-realization, and, eventually, several shocking secrets are disclosed. The plot moves along quickly, but the connection with the characters becomes more distant with each new chapter. Ian was the most appealing character, partially because he was the only character who was content with his life and didn't come to the reunion with some hidden need or agenda.

The writing is good, but I pretty much knew or guessed most of the secrets that were going to be outed so I was anticipating when my predictions would be revealed in the plot. That meant that my interest in the novel needed to be focused on the various characters and their personal development. While character development does happen, most of it felt truncated, which left me pining for the richness and depth that great character development and personal growth can provide to a plot that is otherwise rather predictable. I would look for another Meg Little Reilly because this novel shows promise for her future works.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books.
Helpful
 Report
LacrYmosa Wolf
4.0 out of 5 stars Something new for me
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
I’ve read this author before, I loved her book we are unprepared, I couldn’t stop reading it. So I gave this one a try, I got hooked from the beginning wondering how things will go for this family. I won’t lie this family sounded very irritating and a little too stiff, but that was the point of this book. Seeing a family that grew to believe they had to act a certain way and be prim and proper. It was interesting to see the slightly political things mixed in with the odd pretense of a family raised in privilege America.

I did wish the family had more of blow out then just “kindly” behind the scenes whisper yelling at each other lol. It was an interesting book, and I would recommend for those who like mildly intense soft political books. 5.6/10 ⭐️
Helpful
 Report
Johnna W
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and engaging!
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2020
4-5 stars! This is not my normal type of book, as anything that even remotely mentions politics I am far away from, but this one was actually intense, well written, and eye opening! I thought the author did an amazing job of creating this family, showing you their lives that are not even remotely shown to the public. I thought it was engrossing, original, and even quite suspenseful at times. I thought the another did an amazing job on character development and a well developed story which made the book a quick easy read, which I think most would enjoy if looking for something you can easily get swept up in. I recommend to those who enjoy seeing something of an inside story to a family in a powerful position and how it truly affects the members inside! Interesting for sure!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Book Lover
4.0 out of 5 stars A Story of Family and Political Ambition
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2020
As I began reading this story of a big political family, my immediate reaction was “Oh no, the glamorous lives of The Chosen, a la the Kennedys, the Bushes and the Romneys.” I was prepared to hate them all. By the end of the story my feeling were much more mixed, and I give the author credit for leading me to that conclusion.
We meet the family of retired senator John Bright who are gathering for a summer vacation at the Bright family compound. We also meet the spouses of the Bright sons and through their eyes we soon realize that everyone is an outsider to this tight knit family. Several incidents occur to disrupt the perfection of this image. A possible terrorist attack in Spain where the twin grandsons were headed to a soccer tournament sends the former senator back into fighting form. From there it is a quick jump for him to exploit the situation and announce his return to politics, this time with a run for the governorship of Massachusetts. .
Meanwhile we are given complete access to the family secrets through the somewhat contrived device of a videographer in place working on a documentary on the former senator and his family. Although the camera is supposed to represent an objective look, it is not long before camera person Farah gets drawn into the family relationships and secrets. Her own motivations can not be ignored as she struggles to separate her personal and professional needs.
I would really like to discuss the ending of this book because that is where all the strands of family, integrity and morality come together, but to do so would inevitably include spoilers.. I will just end by saying author Reilly has written a nuanced story with compassion and intelligence. My own reading finds issue with the conclusion, but that is what makes the story interesting.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report