The House (Anjuelle Floyd)

Anna Manning is about to get divorced from her husband of thirty-something years when she find out he is dying of cancer. Edward Mannning was never there for Anna , he was always away on business trips and had affairs while gone. Although he provided well for the family he was not there for them.

Anna and her four adult children come together in the family home as their father/husband is dying. Anna comes to find inner truths about herself. She gets to know her children as adults with secrets and problems of their own.

Well written story about life, love, death and family. I look forward to reading more work from Anjuelle Floyd ( )

Anna Manning wants a divorce. She's asking for freedom from Edward's philandering and emotional abuse he's given her for over thirty years. After more than a year of fighting, he finally gives her all she wants—a divorce and freedom to sell their house.
But Edward's changed, diminished, he's dying and has nowhere to go. In an unexpected move that shocks her to the core, Anna decides to hold off the divorce and bring Edward home—to die.

Edward's illness and Anna's decision cause each of the characters to reflect on their own lives, meeting their own personal demons and conquering them.

Anjuelle Floyd has a unique voice. At times, she confronts adversity, at others, embraces it. Her character studies astutely, but lovingly, reveal the inner workings of the human heart.

Exposing them, she invites us to accept them for what they are. By the conclusion of “The House”, each of the characters has made the difficult transition from anger and denial, to acceptance.

“The House” is a beautiful, lyrical story of grief, acceptance and love. I highly recommend it and her other book, “Keeper of Secrets...Translations of an Incident” for those who enjoy exploring the human heart. ( )

The House by Anjuelle Floyd is an intricate book that deals with the myriad emotions that come with family. It spirals through complicated relationships as they display across the pages in the wake of a tragedy.

Anna is trying to divorce her husband, Edward, but he is fighting her over the disposition of their house. When he suddenly capitulates on everything, she discovers he is dying of cancer. This revelation comes as a shock and she halts the divorce and moves him back into their house. With this decision, Anna must face her buried feelings, her past and decide her future.

The House is a well-written novel with vibrant characters. The book deals at its heart with the most basic of subjects: family relationships. The complex interaction between the characters as they confront their history and the death that surrounds them is what keeps you reading. I can’t say I always liked the characters, or agreed with their choices, but that’s what made them compelling; they felt real and that is where the true strength of the novel lies.

The book isn’t perfect, however. Its weak points fall in the plotline, which sometimes stretches itself a bit thin, especially toward the end. I felt there may have been a few too many convenient happenstances used; it felt, to me, as a bit unnecessary and sliding to improbable.

Still, overall The House is captivating, and I can recommend the novel as a satisfying read. ( )

Anna Manning has asked for a divorce. After stalling as long as he can, Edward Manning has finally conceded... Shortly afterward, Anna learns that her soon-to-be ex-husband is dying.

The House paints the classic picture of a failed marriage and a mildly dysfunctional family. How they learn to cope with the loss of husband and father, and to survive without him makes a moving and dramatic story. While adjusting to the emminent death of their father, Edward's children also learn to better understand themselves and their own motivations as Anna learns to understand herself.

Mrs. Floyd has done it again... I compared her previous book, Keeper of Secrets: Translations of an Incident with a fine tapestry, and of course it is... but The House - well, what can I say? The story unfolds as the petals of a precious, blooming flower, steadily, precisely, neither too slow nor too fast, but at just the right pace to keep the plot interesting. To each member of the Manning family, their home has a different symbolic meaning, which we discover at appropritate times as the story unfolds.

Recommended.

Trade paperback received free from the author in exchange for this review. ( )