One of the grown daughters has been doing medical relief work abroad, and it's standard operating procedure for anyone who may have encountered the deadly Haag virus present in the region. Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak (Berkley, $16) places a family of four within the confines of their home for the Christmas holiday. It had me in stitches.įamily dysfunction does that easily. But he's rarely mean-spirited about it, instead letting his charmingly prickly characters bumble through a season of things going thoroughly off kilter. James, a Pacific Northwest transplant to the East Coast, lampoons the wealth and culture of Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound with natural ease. The Widdicombes are some of the most delightfully unbearable people you could spend time with. All he's ever wanted is harsh parental rejection to fuel his art, but Frank and Carol continue to offer love and acceptance. And their grown son just sulks around the house after a man broke his heart in Florence. His wife, Carol, thinks he's depressed, so that's no help. Widdicombe (Atria, $26), Frank Widdicombe is facing a boring summer at home-with his family!-instead of taking his regular holiday to France with his buddies. In Evan James's hilarious debut, Cheer Up, Mr. The best comedy happens when nothing goes according to plan.
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