Escaping an over-bearing father Gus and his wife Monica escape to Spain, along with their youngest son Jake. This leaves the two eldest children, Katie and Sebastian at boarding school i England and at odds with their parents. Twenty five years later Gus and Monica now run a very successful vineyard but Gus is a very grumpy person and the children rarely if ever visit leaving Monica alone.
Then Gus has a stroke and the three children need to pull together for the first time in their lives. Can they and can everyone live together as a family again?

An enjoyable read. This book is a very honest and real reflection of family life, and focuses on the the many issues that many modern day families are faced with.

At the top of the Beacham family, we see Gus and Monica living "the dream" in Spain. Having moved there in the early nineties , they own and run an award winning vineyard. But old age and ill health has hit. We are introduced to their children, Katie, Sebastian and Jake, who all live in London and have partners and children of their own.

This is a tale of family secrets, sibling rivalry, and miscommunication, and will strike a cord with many readers for its uncanny relatability. It touches on the dilemma a family faces when a parent gets sick, and both mum and dad need looking after. How will this affect their childrens lives, given that mum and dad live in Spain and their children and their families live in London?

All the characters are intricately woven and we get to know all three of their children and the problems each of them are facing within their own families. From overbearing wives, to troubled teenagers, this book really delves into the intricacies of the modern day family.

But beneath the family secrets and troubles that each character is faced with, lies a clear message. Whatever problems a family is faced with, however much animosity between the siblings and parents, once the lines of communication are opened up and the secrets are unfolded, family will always support and stand by each other. But more often than not, the road leading to that point is bumpy, to say the least.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy for review purposes.

Another enjoyable novel from a writer who really hits the spot when delving in to families and what makes them tick. Perhaps the title should be in plural as we are looking at three different generations of one family. Some of the characters were better developed than others, particularly the siblings, but they could have been any family brought back together as adults by the illness of a parent.
I was disappointed that the geographical details were not as descriptive as I would have liked; the terrace lit by lanterns was just a glimpse of life in Spain. I suppose the test of a good novel is that it leaves you wanting more, and that was the case here. I would love to know what happens next.

A family pulls together in a crisis

A good read with great family dynamics, though the siblings are hard to like, each being self-centred and mainly concerned with how their father's stroke will affect them. Their mother, Monica had only moved to Spain with husband Gus so that he could get away from his quarrelsome father and start his own vineyard. After Gus's stroke, she cannot manage this enterprise by herself. She can't move back to Britain because all their savings were sunk into the vineyard. Their children Katie, Jake and Sebastian have their own problematic lives in the UK. Will they help save the vineyard? Another great family story from Joanna Trollope.

A nice easy read and makes you aware how in modern day life families have become a bit disjointed. I would have liked a bit more at the end of the book. It ended a bit abruptly. All in all a nice easy read

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this author and have read all her books and this was on a similar line of all her others hence it was full of great characters and a good storyline. Would recommend.

A well constructed read which successfully wove the characters to a pleasing outcome. This was a fairly light story which I enjoyed reading in one sitting.

Review
Monica wakes as she does every morning and drinks her tea admiring the early morning view of the rock of Gibraltar and the vineyards that she and husband Gus own. She goes to wake Gus, only to find that he’s had a stroke. He is rushed to hospital in Ronda, Spain and the three grown-up children who all live in London are informed.

The youngest, Jake is the first to fly out and support his mother. He takes over but something just isn’t quite right. He’s too willing to give up his and his family’s life in London. Not is all as it seems, he’s just too good to be true. Sebastian is the elder son who is reluctant to get involved with his parents. I loved this character and how he changed, particularly towards his wife and children! And Katie is Monica and Gus’s daughter who has her own set of relationship issues and my heart broke for their daughter Marta.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mum & Dad. It’s so much more than just Mum & Dad, it’s brother, sister, husband, wife, etc. And a real feel good book when you need it.

This book is particularly poignant at the moment. It comes as the news that Caroline Flack has died (15/02/2020) and if you can be anything, be kind seems to stand out for me more than ever at this time.

I give this book 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thanks
Thank you to the author and publishers Pan Macmillan for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.

Very pleased to have been given the opportunity to read and review the latest offering from Joanna Trollope. Have read and enjoyed all her other books. Mum and Dad is the most brilliantly observed novel unpicking all the intricacies of family life. Beautifully written, each character and their relationship within the family is explored. Monica and Gus.- Mum and Dad live in and run a vineyard....Gus has a stroke and the book explores the impact that this has on all the generations in the family...bringing out the tensions, the assumptions, the emotions that are inevitably exposed. Once I'd started this book I couldn't put it down, Joanne Trollope immerses you in this family's problems, a great read. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this book. The settings -a Spanish vineyard and the suburbs of London -were well drawn and the family dynamics between husband and wife and siblings and their parents were interesting. The turmoil a family goes through when an elderly relative becomes sick is well depicted in this novel. The author’s understanding of middle class values and their shift with the younger generations is evident. The characters aren’t easy to like and can all seem self absorbed at times but their troubles are significant to them. All of the characters are flawed in some way and some grow more than others in the struggle to keep the family business going Joanna Trollope writes well and her books are an easy to read observation of English middle class families

Monica and Gus live in Spain and when Gus has stroke, the grownup children come to visit. Nic and Katie have three daughters; Marta, (who self harms,) Daisy and Florence. Worried about suicide, they arrange to take Marta to a therapist.
Sebastian and his wife, Hannah, have two sons; Dermott and Marcus. However he shies away from the responsibility. Both these families find it difficult to leave their homes and must return to family life.
Jake and his wife Bella, along with their child Mouse, decide to stay and help run the vineyard.
Gus is a controlling father but cannot remain that way, He can no longer drive and copes with bursts of frustration and fury. The story follows the lives of each of these families and the way in which their lives intertwine when called upon for support.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, reading it in two days. The characters are believable and the plot realistic, as with all Trollope's previous books. If you are looking for a fast paced read, this is one for you!

Classic Joanna Trollope-a strong plot based on issues that many people can relate to ,sympathetic characters and a lovely setting.I raced through it because I really wanted to find out how it would all be resolved. It deals with the problems faced by adult siblings when one parent becomes ill.The parents,Gus and Monica,live in Spain,and run a vineyard,so the siblings have to work out how to help while allowing their parents to retain some independence.Each has their own family and their own concerns too,and as always,the concerns are very much of the moment.
I loved it!

I have loved all of Joanna Trollope’s novels and was delighted to get the chance to read this one. It’s very good indeed, full of the wonderful, insightful dialogue that she is famous for. Some conversations were so good, I found I had to re-read them straight away. Years ago, Gus and Monica moved to Spain to pursue Gus’s dream of running a vineyard, leaving their two eldest children at boarding school in England. Their youngest son Jake grew up bilingual in Spain so already there’s an imbalance in the family situation. When Gus has a stroke, members of the family rally around (some more quickly than others) and the tensions rise. I particularly enjoyed the conversations between successful lawyer Katie and her mother Monica. They were so real and show how people can repeatedly have the best of intentions but get off on the wrong foot! It’s a really interesting portrayal of three generations. This is life in 2020, brilliantly observed, with all its frustrations and triumphs. Excellent!

Joanna Trollope is a writer whose books I have read ever since they were first published, and enjoyed.
This one is a little different, with a story set about a thoroughly dysfunctional and unlikeable family.
Gus and Monica, the patriarchs of the story have lived in Spain for years, creating a successful vineyard. They have little relationship between them, and when Gus has a sudden stroke, Monica is felled also. She feels lost and unable to cope.
The next generation of family pitch in, with the ghastly Jake at the head (until knocked off his perch), Kate and Sebastian following. The transformation of Sebastian is interesting. I found the two grandsons a little improbable.
It's a good book and I read it in one go, enjoying being back with Joanna again.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

I’ve been reading Joanna Trollope for so long, I’ve become the age of the “elderly” parents rather than the age of the middle generation. It’s an interesting perspective to come from.
The parents, Gus and Monica, left the children in boarding school almost 30 years ago, and relocated to Spain so Gus could develop a vineyard. Monica didn’t want to abandon the children, but as many in her generation, she put Gus first and off she went, resentful and unhappy. She has stifled her own desires, but she adamantly does not consider herself a housewife. She has dutiful Pilar to do the cooking, cleaning, ironing, etc. she moons about drinking her imported English tea in a bone china mug and worries over her palm tree. Self centered and unemotional, she has not seen her children or grandchildren in five years. Gus treats her abominably and they argue frequently.
Sebastian, eldest son is married to Anna, domineering and condescending, she and their two sons look down in Sebastian and consider him pathetic. He and his wife run a successful office cleaning company in London.
Katie, workaholic partner in a London law firm, has been together with Nic, a college teacher, for 20 years, though they have 3 daughters, they have never married. Katie feels the pressure of being the breadwinner, and is oblivious to how unhappy and maladjusted her children are.
Jake, the baby in more ways than one, married to Bella and father to beloved Mouse (Molly) is an irresponsible London wide boy.
Gus has a severe health event and the family are forced together to cope with Mum and dad, even though they are all virtual strangers to one another. Past wounds are healed and the family gradually pull together.
Joanna Trollope can write, and even though I did not like or respect any of the characters, I was drawn into this highly dysfunctional family. I hope they can make a go of it, but I have my doubts.
Thanks to netgalley/publisher/author for a preview copy.

I prove Joanna Trollopes books,really enjoyed the setting ,Spain added an exotic touch.The family dynamics issues through the generations kept me engaged.Another wonderful read by this author,#netgalley#panmacmillan.

I’ve been trying to remember which of Joanna Trollope’s books I’ve read before this one, and I can’t think if I have. My Mum is a fan, and so it would stand to reason that I have because basically, if there’s text on it and it’s not nailed down in my family home, I will have read it. Everyone knows who she is – the ‘Aga Sagas’ of which there’s only been one, a rural comfort which actually deals in the bleakness and futility of life. Wikpedia tells me that she’s had a few TV adaptations, including the Rector’s Wife and Other People’s Children.

Gus and Monica are the patriarch and matriarch of the family, settled in Spain for more than two decades and leaving their half grown children in boarding schools in the UK. The story picks up in present day, when their three children are now adults with their own children, some of whom are half grown themselves.

Early on in the narrative Gus has a stroke, leaving Monica bewildered, frightened and ever so slightly relieved to be able to live her own life after following her husband around for his. Her children gather round, galvanised into action but also shamed for leaving it so long. I think that’s what Joanna Trollope does really well – she captures the inherent contradictions of what it means to be human, to struggle with selfish motivations and ensuring we get enough love, care and attention without smothering those next to you.

The family relationships are intricate and complicated, but it was never confusing and I could always tell who was ‘speaking’. Sebastian, Katie and Jake are fully formed, battling their own demons and navigating family dynamics as well as dealing with the possibility of their father dying, or at least never being the same again. This web of family ties pushes out, weaving between all of the children and into the Spanish community in which Gus and Monica have put down roots.

It was an enjoyable read, and one which made me think about my own familial relationships, and perhaps making sure I’m tending to them and helping them to take root now, not just when things go badly.

Thanks to Pan MacMillan and Netgalley for the ARC, as always.

I was so excited to get a chance to read this book. I love Joanna Trollope's writing . I found this book somehow less enjoyable than the others. I loved the Spanish setting and the prospect of a fractured family's interactions. Unfortunately I realised I didn't care about any of the characters.. I'll look forward to the next book. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read it.

Loved loved loved this book! Have always really enjoyed joannas books and this was a really good read!
Family dynamics through the generations are central to the storyline showing how long held resentment and confirming to what’s expected of you can suddenly erupt when triggered,by in this case a sudden illness! How families pull together despite previous history and the sense of loyalty and belonging that only families have, I particularly liked the relationship with gus and his grandsons and between Monica and Martha showing how important grandparents are in children’s lives, this book also illustrated how middle aged couples have to juggle jobs children home and ageing parents and the strain it can put upon them which is so very relevant to many middle aged readers! A really good relatable read.
Thank you net galley for this early read.

Lots of characters, who I found a bit tricky to keep up with. I did like the overall story, but I got lost with all the people.
Interesting plot, not read anything similar. Quite enjoyable.