The Glass Castle meets The Nest in this stunning debut, an intimate family memoir that gracefully brings us behind the dappled beachfront vista of privilege, to reveal the inner lives of two wonderfully colorful, unforgettable families. On a mid-August weekend, two families assemble for a wedding at a rambling family mansion on the beach in East Hampton, in the last days of the area’s quietly refined country splendor, before traffic jams and high-end boutiques morphed the peaceful enclave into the "Hamptons." The weather is perfect, the tent is in place on the lawn. But as the festivities are readied, the father of the bride, and "pater familias" of the beachfront manse, suffers a massive stroke from alcohol withdrawal, and lies in a coma in the hospital in the next town. So begins Jeanne McCulloch’s vivid memoir of her wedding weekend in 1983 and its after effects on her family, and the family of the groom. In a society defined by appearance and protocol, the wedding goes on at the insistence of McCulloch’s theatrical mother. Instead of a planned honeymoon, wedding presents are stashed in the attic, arrangements are made for a funeral, and a team of lawyers arrive armed with papers for McCulloch and her siblings to sign. As McCulloch reveals, the repercussions from that weekend will ripple throughout her own family, and that of her in-law’s lives as they grapple with questions of loyalty, tradition, marital honor, hope, and loss. Five years later, her own brief marriage ended, she returns to East Hampton with her mother to divide the wedding presents that were never opened. Impressionistic and lyrical, at turns both witty and poignant, All Happy Families is McCulloch’s clear-eyed account of her struggle to hear her own voice amid the noise of social mores and family dysfunction, in a world where all that glitters on the surface is not gold, and each unhappy family is ultimately unhappy in its own unique way.

In The Secrets of Happy Families, New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler has drawn up a blueprint for modern families — a new approach to family dynamics, inspired by cutting-edge techniques gathered from experts in the disciplines of science, business, sports, and the military. Don't worry about family dinner. Let your kids pick their punishments. Ditch the sex talk. Cancel date night. These are just a few of the surprising innovations in this bold first-of-its-kind playbook for today's families. Bestselling author and New York Times family columnist Bruce Feiler found himself squeezed between caring for aging parents and raising his children. So he set out on a three-year journey to find the smartest solutions and the most cutting-edge research about families. Instead of the usual family "experts," he sought out the most creative minds—from Silicon Valley to the set of Modern Family, from the country's top negotiators to the Green Berets—and asked them what team-building exercises and problem-solving techniques they use with their families. Feiler then tested these ideas with his wife and kids. The result is a fun, original look at how families can draw closer together, complete with 200 never-before-seen best practices. Feiler's life-changing discoveries include a radical plan to reshape your family in twenty minutes a week, Warren Buffett's guide for setting an allowance, and the Harvard handbook for resolving conflict. The Secrets of Happy Families is a timely, counterintuitive book that answers the questions countless parents are asking: How do we manage the chaos of our lives? How do we teach our kids values? How do we make our family happier? Written in a charming, accessible style, The Secrets of Happy Families is smart, funny, and fresh, and will forever change how your family lives every day.

“If anyone wrote eloquently and magnificently about affairs of the heart, it was Laurie Colwin.” —San Francisco Chronicle At first glance, Polly Solo-Miller Demarest appears to have it all. The only daughter of a distinguished and close-knit family, she marries a handsome lawyer named Henry (just like her father and brother) and has two adorable and well-behaved children, Pete and Dee-Dee. She lives in a comfortable Park Avenue apartment, works three days a week in a rewarding job at the Board of Education, and spends every August in Maine. People regularly tell her, with admiration and envy, that she has life aced. What no one suspects is that this perfect daughter, wife, and mother, always so eager to see to the happiness of others, would be willing to risk everything for love. From the moment she encounters his beautiful portraits in a group show, Polly cannot get Lincoln Bennett out of her mind. Soon she and the solitary, kindhearted painter are wrapped up in a deep and thrilling romance, and Polly has never felt more euphoric—or more terrified. Previously she divided women into two groups—those who have affairs and those who do not—and placed herself firmly in the latter category. How could she have been so wrong? And what does her passion for Lincoln say about the genuine pleasure she takes in her marriage and her family? A sophisticated, sincere, and ultimately hopeful novel about the search for fulfillment, Family Happiness is a testament to the clarity of Laurie Colwin’s vision and the elegance of her craft. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Laurie Colwin including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s estate.

New York Times Bestselling and Goncourt Prize-Winning Author of The Anomaly A prominent French writer delves into his own history in this eloquent reflection on dysfunctional family relationships. Hervé Le Tellier did not consider himself to have been an unhappy child—he was not deprived, or beaten, or abused. And yet he understood from a young age that something was wrong, and longed to leave. Children sometimes have only the option of escaping, driven by their even greater love of life. Having reached a certain emotional distance at sixty years old, and with his father and stepfather dead and his mother suffering from late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, Le Tellier finally felt able to write the story of his family. Abandoned early by his father and raised in part by his grandparents, he was profoundly affected by his relationship with his mother, a troubled woman with damaging views on love. In this perceptive, deeply personal account, Le Tellier attempts to look back on trying times without anger or regret, and sometimes even with humor.

In their new book The Happy Family, NY Times #1 bestselling authors Linda and Richard Eyre argue that the social problems that are ravishing America--family breakups, escalating substance abuse, teen pregnancy--are the unfortunate result of hearts and minds turned away from the essentials of parenting, marriage and families. In this landmark work, the Eyres help parents to understand what is happening to their families and why parenting is so difficult today. The eyres present powerful, practical parenting practices, including how to: * Make a conscious recommitment to return your heart to the priority of marriage and family * Teach understanding and discretionary use of the culture at large * Reinvent time management with an emphasis on family * Make communication your constant goal * Create identity, security and motivation for children through family traditions and responsibilities * Use "values therapy" in which the focus shifts away from wrong to the rewards and fulfillment of right.

Parenting just got a whole lot messier... Bobbie's children never listen to a word she says. Even worse, she's forced to constantly sit through her nearest and dearest critiquing her parenting skills and she can't ever win. Andy's swapping a high-flying career to be a stay-at-home dad. But he soon discovers that his knack for negotiating tricky business deals means nothing when raising two teenage daughters. Vanessa is about to start a new chapter in life, finding love a second time around. But the surprise arrival of her estranged, six-year-old granddaughter at her door is an unexpected twist - and this time, she's determined to get it right. Signing up to the local parenting class, these three parents will need all the help they can get. Can Bobbie, Andy and Vanessa really learn the secret of raising a happy family?

This textbook series is ambitious in scope. It provides concise and lucid introductions to major works of world literature from classical antiquity to the twentieth century. It is not confined to any single literary tradition or genre, and will cumulatively form a substantial library of textbooks on some of the most important and widely read literary masterpieces. Each book is devoted to a full acount of its historical, cultural, and intellectual background, a discussion of its influence, and a guide to further reading.

Set in rural Wales, Happy Families shines a tender, funny and heartwarming light on the lives of three generations of a Chinese immigrant family. When was the last time you paid much attention to the person behind the counter of your local Chinese takeaway? Amy is thirty-four and has just given up her glittering career in the big (Welsh) city to move back in with her grandfather, returning to work in the small-town Chinese takeaway where she spent her bookish and boring childhood. Why? That's a secret she won't tell. Just like the secret of why her grandfather, Ah Goong, and her faith, TC Li, haven't spoken to each other in thirty years. Weirder still, they've lived in the same small flat above the takeaway for the majority of those years, with Amy's mother Joan acting as their unfortunate go-between and buffer. Now Amy's parents have moved, leaving her in charge of looking after the old man. But then Ah Goong collapses in the street and time is running out if Amy wants to play happy families before it's too late.

This international collection features the most influential scholarship published during the past few decades on the concept of the family and related issues. An invaluable resource for students and researchers alike, the four volumes cover the following themes: Vol. 1: Family Groups Vol. 2: Family and Gender Issues Vol. 3: Family Ties Vol. 4: Family and Society The scope offers an international range of material, and includes key work from the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, and Asia.

Written as a handbook for new or aspiring parents, What's It Take To Make A Man? proposes a bold, even visionary approach to solving the twin problems of boys with little purpose and families with little connection. The book provides a practical, comprehensive road map for the rebirth of real Manhood and Family-hood. Just as the Women's Movement forever dispelled the notion of women as second class, What's It Take To Make A Man? will lead the simmering parent revolt against pop culture's degradation of young men and their character. With engaging chapter titles like "The Hole In The Soul Generation" and "Raising vs. Nurturing," What's It Take To Make A Man? gets right to the point, in a common sense style that is inclusive of all boys, no matter what their sexual preference, or even their parents' gender or relationship.Over 132,000 American teens attempted suicide in a recent year. Boys were five times more likely to try than girls. Boys are seven times more likely to drop out of school before age 18, and are joining gangs at alarming rates. By any measure, our boys are timed out, disengaged, and failing fast. Most have no idea of their obligation, or even their option, to become Men of character."