Family

Family and the importance of family is a major theme in this novel. The story covers about a one-year time span in the life of one family as it dealt with unexpected challenges including a ranting Christmas letter that wasn’t supposed to be sent, a car wreck, financial troubles and an unexpected pregnancy. Even with their differences and disagreements, the members of the family bonded together to get through the tough times.

Even before Angela wrote, and then Nick sent, her ranting Christmas letter, the Gillespie family was unsettled. Their youngest son Ig insisted on running away from his boarding school and had developed an imaginary friend at the age of ten. Lindy, the youngest daughter, had already returned home practically jobless and deep in debt. Her older sisters soon followed. These grown children returning home made an already distant relationship between Angela and Nick...