Families; can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Norman’s The Son-in-Law takes this familiar saying to heart in a moving and emotionally complex story.
It opens with the transcript of a phone call. Terrified Scarlett Scott begs for help. She explains that her mother, Zoe, is lying on the floor, killed by her husband Joseph. Three years later, he leaves jail after serving time for manslaughter. He initiates contact with his estranged children, who in his absence have lived with Zoe’s parents, Hannah and Freddie.
Norman writes beautifully about the heartbroken couple’s bravery. Slowly, as details of Zoe’s life emerge, the full, unflinching, and poignant story unfolds.
Brace yourself, it’s a tear-jerker!
This review appeared in The Bookseller magazine, 28 June 2013, and on WeLoveThisBook.
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