This book deals with family secrets and dysfunction. It reminds me of a book I read titled "Mrs. Everything" by Jennifer Weiner. That book also dealt with the same themes. The "Brennans" shows how issues fester over time and are so hard to resolve. My family is Irish Catholic and we have had similar issues, some of which were never resolved or dealt with because those affected by the issues are now deceased. Sometimes the ties that bind can feel like quicksand. The book has a realistic "slice of life" style of narration that reminded me of the book "Dubliners" by James Joyce. I am also from Westchester County, NY so some of the locations are familiar to me.