Synopses & Reviews
“An endearing and humane story about a family and its sticky web of secrets and misunderstandings . . . one of those rare books you could recommend to anyone and know that theyll love it.”
-The Australian Womens Weekly
Harriet Turner knows all about journeys. Shes arranged hundreds of them for her familys travel agency. Now Harriet is joining her adopted sister, Lara, to lead a group through the Cornish countryside. But when Lara fails to appear at the airport as planned, Harriet finds herself in uncharted territory and suddenly alone with a busload of eccentric seniors. As the tour wends its way through the picturesque landscape, Harriet must uncover her sisters whereabouts and confront long-held family secrets involving Laras arrival twenty-five years ago . . . not to mention keeping track of more baggage-real and emotional-than she ever expected.
“With every book, Monica McInerney becomes more skilled at juggling plot complexities and giving depth to her characters. . . . Perfect [for] weekend reading.”
-Marie Claire (Australia)
“A book to treasure that is clever, amusing and heart-warmingly touching.”
-Womans Day (Australia)
Reading Group Guide
1. In the Readers Circle interview, Monica McInerney cites several authors as inspiration for her writing (John le Carré, Edith Nesbit, John Wyndham, Maeve Binchy, and Adriana Trigiani, among others). Do you see the influence of these writers in McInerneys writing? What novels would you compare to
Family Baggage, and why do you feel they are similar?
2. Reading has had a strong influence on Monica McInerney, as she discusses in the Readers Circle interview. How important has reading been to you? Did you read a great deal as a child, or have you come to reading later in life? What role does it play in your life today?
3. Do you think Penny was right to keep the truth about Laras parents a secret?
4. Was it fair for Penny to ask Gloria to keep the family secret? What would you have done in Glorias place?
5. Do you believe there are secrets that should be kept, or is truth always the best method?
6. In Family Baggage, Monica McInerney uses several different voices and viewpoints, from different family members, to tell the story. How did having different viewpoints help or hinder your connection to the characters and story? Do you prefer a particular point of view in novels (first person, third person, omniscient, etc.)?
7. Which voice in Family Baggage was the most powerful for you? Did you enjoy hearing from one character more than another?
8. Near the end of the novel (p. 456), Harriet and Lara each confess that they had always wished they were more like the other. Do you think this is a common sentiment for sisters?
9. How do the relationships between brother and sister (Austin and Harriet, for example), brother and brother ( James and Austin), and sister and sister (Harriet and Lara) differ in Family Baggage? Are sisters more forgiving of their brothers than their sisters in general, do you think? If you have both a brother and a sister, how does your relationship with each differ?
10. Were you surprised by Melissas plan at the end of the novel? Why do you think Gloria and the Turner family expected the worst from Melissa?
11. Some of the funnier moments in the novel occur with the tour group members. If you have been on a tour with a group, share some of the funny or insightful behavior that you witnessed within the group.
12. If you were going to embark on a television show—themed tour, which television show would you choose, and where would the tour take you? (For Monica McInerneys choice, see the Readers Circle interview. Or check out page 177 for a clue.)