A short but powerful book, covering a lesser-known aspect of British societal history. Set in 1982 and 2023.

In the more recent storyline, Heron is trying to figure out how to tell his daughter Maggie about the bad news the doctor has just delivered.

In 1982, Heron, Dawn and Maggie are a family, until Dawn meets someone new….

Once I started I couldn‘t put it down. 💛

This was a powerful, deeply moving read that left me both heartbroken and furious in equal measures. Told in dual timelines between 1982 and 2022, the story weaves the past and present with emotional clarity and quiet intensity, slowly revealing a family history that is as haunting as it is illuminating.

I don’t want to give too much of the storyline away as I think it’s best to go in somewhat blind. What I will say is that, as a child of the 1980s and a mother of a 4 year-old in the 2020s, I related to both timelines with astounding heartache. The book discusses social issues that I had no idea about, such is my naivety, and I was deeply affected and full of sorrow for those who have been affected.

What I found particularly clever in the story was how Claire Lynch wrote Heron and Dawn. Neither is painted as a clear hero or villain. It would have been easy to make Heron a hateful figure but instead he is relatively neutral, aside from the spatterings of being human. As a result, the focus stays on their circumstances and highlights how this didn’t only happen to hateful people. That choice allows the real weight of the novel to land exactly where it should: on the system, the prejudices, and the staggering injustices of the time.

Lynch’s writing is brilliant - controlled, elegant, and deeply empathetic. The author’s note at the end, especially the statistics, was absolutely devastating. It left me reeling. I’m still thinking about it now.

I rated this 4.75 stars and have rounded up to 5. The only thing that stopped this being a full 5 stars for me was that I didn’t fully understand or buy into Heron’s motivation for initiating things the way he did. I felt that could’ve been set up or explored more clearly. But otherwise, this was a stunning and important novel that I’d urge you all to read.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Books for gifting me a copy of this to read. As always, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Considering how small this book is. It landed a sucker punch. I know I will be thinking about this book for a long time. I loved the writing style.

A wonderful story that hooks you from the beginning and refuses to lets you go. The chapters alternative between 1982 and 2022, but each chapter is also split into short, sharp scenes that keep your mind engaged and the interest peaked. Sometimes I felt as thought the POV changed slightly too often, or in the middle of a sentence, which made it a little confusing, but this novel had an amazing cast of characters who all felt immediately relatable. Lynch also has a talent in layering silent events throughout the narrative which have a huge impact. Would definitely recommend.

I absolutely adored this book. Right from the first page I knew I would love it - the tone, the voice, was perfect. I love the way the book was structured. Heron was presented to us first as a character to feel sympathy for and only later is it very slowly revealed what he did and the massive, awful heartache he caused his wife and daughter. The story was nuanced in the way that Heron was presented as flawed, but not evil. It would have been so easy to make the reader hate him but the book had far more impact this way and it really made you think. One of my favourite reads this year.

Thanks to Claire Lynch and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book felt like floating through a montage of memories. The way that the author writes the characters and their own little chapters of time was really powerful and well executed. It took me a while to get through surprisingly but I think that was more down to personal circumstances than the book!

I loved this book! I was instantly hooked and felt like I didn’t want to put it down! It was one of those books I kept trying to force myself to stay up later so I could read more.
I loved the way we go between the two time periods but have the different pov for each so we get just a glimpse of each character. I love how it was just a short book and still felt it covered a lot. It’s definitely quite a heavy book that tackles a few difficult themes but so worth it!

I’d definitely recommend this book!

A Family Matter is a tender, layered read that creeps in quietly but lands with weight. It is a quietly powerful novel that deserves all the love it’s getting and then some.

This is a story that deals in the small, humdrum moments of everyday life, but beneath them, lives are being shaped, torn apart, and held together by sheer will. It’s tender, it’s raw, and it lingers long after the last page.

The novel unfolds across two timelines—1982 and 2022—blending the domestic with the devastating. Heron, in the present day, receives life-altering news. But he can’t find the words to share it with his daughter, Maggie. She’s always counted on him to fix things. But there’s one thing Heron can’t repair: the past.

Back in 1982, Maggie’s mother, Dawn, is trying to meet the expectations of her time: dutiful wife, reliable mother. Until she meets Hazel. Their connection is undeniable, but so is the weight of consequence. Because Dawn has Maggie. And back then, the law was never on her side.

Lynch imagines with great empathy the hidden heartbreak behind a harsh truth: in the 1980s, just 1 in 10 lesbian mothers in the UK retained custody of their children after divorce. This is fiction, but laced with chillingly real words spoken by judges and lawyers of the time. The result is a sobering reminder of how deeply institutional prejudice was embedded, and how costly that was for families, particularly women and children.

There’s no neat villainy here. What makes the novel so compelling is its refusal to oversimplify. It acknowledges that most people—parents, professionals, even those enforcing unjust systems—believed they were doing what was best. But whose version of “best” gets to prevail? And what’s the cost of silence, of protection, of doing what you think is right?

The writing is restrained but emotionally potent. The mundane rhythms of family life, school runs, conversations over tea, the murmurs of an ordinary day, provide a backdrop that makes the grief, the yearning, and the injustice all the more striking. You feel the author’s compassion, her quiet fury, and her deep respect for the resilience of women whose lives were shaped by shame and fear, not of their own making.

And the 80s? Lynch gets it exactly right. It’s not nostalgia, it’s recognition. A time close enough to remember but distant enough to show just how much (and often how little) has changed. Yes, it might fall under “historical fiction” now, well, just about, but for many, it’s lived memory.

If I’ve one tiny quibble, it’s that I wasn’t quite ready for the ending. I’d have happily stayed with these characters a few chapters more. But maybe that’s what a good book does? Leaves you not with neat closure, but with questions, emotions, and conversations waiting to be had.

This is an utterly absorbing, intensely moving novel about truth, protection, and the cost of silence. So if you’re drawn to rich, character-driven fiction, full of emotional nuance, quiet heartbreak, and the kind of secrets that echo through generations, this one’s for you!

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. As always, all opinions are my own.

A dual timeline story, set between 1982 and 2022. In 1982 we follow Dawn- whose life changes drastically after an affair with a woman. In 2022 we follow Heron whose rigid life comes undone when he receives a terminal diagnosis and has to tell his daughter. Shining a light on heartbreak that was common place for divorced lesbian mothers, this was deeply touching, moved me so much and I felt the anger and sorrow. An amazing read.

This book has everything I love in a great read..... characters in emotional turmoil, relationships, family secrets and a bit of history. It is a story of Dawn, Hazel, Herron and Maggie and set in both the early 1980's and 2020's. In all honesty I was shocked to read how women were treated, (being 50yrs old, the 1980's don't feel that long ago), it really makes you think how far we have come as females and what it means to be a family. I thought this novel well researched by the author and the subject handled so tenderly in the novel. As a mum my heart was breaking while I devoured the words and my only gripe was it just wasn't long enough...I felt it definitely had a couple more chapters to go when it ended. I would 100% recommend this book to my girlfriends, it's thought provoking and a great one to debate over. If you love, emotionally charged, character rich stories, give this one a go, you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley

Told in dual time lines, we first meet elderly Heron when he's just had a terminal diagnosis. How to tell his daughter Maggie, who he's protected all her life. It's always been just the two of them. The second time line is Dawn's in 1982. Maggie's mother, she's clearly not been in her life since she was a young child. Why did Dawn sever all contact? Things are never as they seem. Back in 1982, Dawn met someone else. A woman, and this was too scandalous to allow her to bring up her daughter. Heron was led into the court system by legal professionals and didn't even get a chance to think it through. He walked blindly through life thinking he was doing his best for his daughter. It really was a different worls back in the early 80s.I had some problems getting into this as a comparison was made to Eastenders in 1982, when it didn't start until 1985. For me the characters weren't fully rounded, not enough depth, but plenty of food for thought. How the world has changed in 40 years. #netgalley #afamilymatter

'A Family Matter' by Claire Lynch is a beautiful, heartbreaking and emotional novel about a mother following her heart, a father doing what he thinks is right at the time and their daughter caught in the middle. I couldn't put it down, it is so emotionally captivating and beautifully written!

This book is set in two timelines. In 2022 we meet Heron, who has just received a bad medical diagnosis, and his daughter Maggie, who he brought up and is very close to. Jumping back to 1982 we follow Dawn who had to chose between her daughter and her love Hazel as being a lesbian at that time was considered as unreasonable behaviour which was putting her child in danger.

Niamh is handling such a difficult subject with so much sensitivity and gentleness. I highly recommend this book!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Vintage Books for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful novel. All the stars!

This is one of the most heartbreaking novels I've ever read.

A Family Matter tells us the story of Dawn, Heron and Maggie. It is split into two timelines. In the 1980s Dawn and Heron are married with a 4 year old daughter, Maggie. At a church sale Dawn meets Hazel and, quite simply, falls in love. Buy when she admits the affair, the outcome is not what she expected and Dawn may have to lose everything.

In 2022 Heron has just discovered he is dying. He knows he must tell daughter, Maggie, but he's not sure how and he's also sure that he is then going to have to tell her the truth about her mother's abandonment of the family.

This is a very touching and emotional story of a woman finding out what her background truly is. Maggie's reaction first to the news and then to Dawn were dealt with very sensitively. In fact the whole book is gentle and tender in tone. Claire Lynch has done a wonderful job of bringing this story to life. It wasn't sensationalised or melodramatic, just beautiful and heartfelt prose.

Reading this book I was absolutely amazed to learn that these kind of legal ramifications went on in the 1980s for a lesbian mother. In the Author's Note she tells us that the words used by the courts is taken from real documents. They disgusted and horrified me and you begin to wonder how many more families were torn apart by such prejudice. I defy anyone not to be affected by it.

Very highly recommended.

Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Random House UK for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.
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I loved this book; it is so beautifully written with not a single spare word.
It was shocking and disturbing to discover that most lesbian mothers were not able to have access to their children after a marriage breakdown in the 1980s. Thank goodness things have changed for the better in the intervening years.

3.75 rounded up.

A moving and honest look at what it means to belong to a family, to a community and to yourself. This multi-faceted memoir is a story with a lot of heart, quiet, tender and emotional.

The writing is thoughtful and reflective and does a great job of unpacking some really complex family dynamics without ever feeling heavy-handed. Really enjoyed the character exploration as well.

It’s the kind of memoir that sticks with you as it is heartbreaking, personal and full of moments that make you pause and reflect. Definitely worth a read if you’re into stories about identity, family and finding your place. Wish it was a bit longer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC to review.

Deft writing that captures the period and the complications of family. Not as gripping for me as for other reviewers, but overall a solid read and strong for a debut.

This beautiful novel really crept up on me. It's cleverly plotted and skilfully written. The story is quietly devastating. What tangled webs are woven in families and we spend our lives trying to unpick what has happened, and sometimes what is never spoken about. A Family Matter is one of my favourite reads so far this year, highly recommend.

A beautiful read. I really loved the characters Dawn Heron and Maggie. It's so well written and I feel like this would be a brilliant tv series. Phenomenal book.

Wow! This book is so hard to read emotionally, however the writing is impeccable and Claire Lynch holds your hand, ensuring you are led theough the srory with care.

I am so angry that this happened to people, that everything was so twisted and that lives were altered for no reason. I wish Maggie and all like her hadn't had to go through what they did. I wish Dawn had been treated like a human. Yet I still care deeply for Heron, who made mistakes led by those he thought knew best. The 80s were hostile for gay people and I fear the current hostility for members of the queer community.

This book is quietly powerful, the characters deeply drawn and think its a story to cherish. I'll be thinking of these characters for a long time to come.

What a great novel.
It’s told across a family - in the 1980s and in the current day - and it soon becomes apparent that it’s about the secrets and lies that tear families apart.
The narrators include a man in his sixties who has just found out he is very I’ll, his daughter and ex-wife.
It’s hard to review without spoilers. But it addresses prejudices that seem a lifetime away and the long-lasting effects they have.
Recommended: beautifully written, easy to read and a tale of our times and how things change.