The Middlesteins meets The Virgin Suicides in this arresting family love story about the eccentric yet tightknit Simone family, coping with tragedy of 1990s New York, struggling to reconnect with each other and heal.
Claudio and Mathilde Simone, once romantic bohemians hopelessly enamored with each other, find themselves nestled in domesticity in New York, running a struggling vinyl record store and parenting three daughters as best they can: Natasha, an overachieving prodigy; sensitive Lucy, with her debilitating heart condition; and Carly, adopted from China and quietly fixated on her true origins.
With prose that is as keen and illuminating as it is whimsical and luminous, debut novelist Christine Reilly tells the unusual love story of this family. Poignant and humane, Sunday’s on the Phone to Monday is a deft exploration of the tender ties that bind families together, even as they threaten to tear them apart.
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“Julia Whelan’s subdued narration sets a fittingly melancholy tone for this novel about the Simone family’s love and heartbreak…Whelan’s smooth and engaged narration allows the lyrical writing to flow naturally. Since the Simones own a record store, music and lyrics are prominently featured throughout the novel. Whelan subtly captures the characters’ voices and expertly conveys their emotions, sweeping listeners into the lives of the family members until the final tearful moment. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”
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