Review
Leslie Gray Streeter presents a strong debut fiction novel with Family & Other Calamities. The story was well-paced with a great balance of humor and reflection on grief. Dawn is going through it after losing her husband earlier in the year. The last thing she needs is the family drama that comes with her visit back home to give his ashes to her brother-in-law. As the story progresses, we get flashbacks that offer insight as to her long-standing beef with her former mentor, Joe. The more we learn, the more we share Dawn’s rage at how everything turned out. Which makes the final showdown that much more satisfying.
While the characters and story were entertaining, both Dawn and her sister Tonya tend to be immature. But then again, they are indeed working through a damaged relationship. Dawn was actually impatient and quite rude to nearly everyone. But during her journey of seeking justice and righting wrongs, and the unexpected help she receives along the way, readers get to watch her grow as a person.
I will admit that at times I struggled to connect with some characters and the love story. But then again, this is not a romance-forward novel. For a women’s fiction debut about redemption, grief, reconnection, growth, and hilarious moments, I recommend readers add this to their lists.
Leslie Gray Streeter joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast later this year! Pick up a copy of Family & Other Calamities before the episode comes out!
Book
Entertainment journalist Dawn Roberts has a lot to work through: a widow’s grief, betrayals of family and friends, and scandals that almost tanked her reputation. Not that Dawn dwells on the past. Well, hardly. When she returns to Baltimore with her husband’s ashes, she can’t avoid it. In fact, she’s diving into decades of backstabbing and treachery for her first trip home in years.
She’s looking at you, Joe Perkins. Her former mentor, whose explosive exposé about big-city corruption is being turned into a slanderous movie, is also back in town. The villain of the piece? Dawn. The good news is that this could all be a chance to reset—heal family wounds, admit to her own mistakes, and maybe even reconnect with the one who got away. Oh, and get even with Joe any way she can.
With the surprising help of an up-and-coming journalist and a legendary R & B diva, Dawn will finally set the record straight. Returning home might just be the biggest story in Dawn’s life, a fresh start—and happy ending—she never expected.
