A Good Family

The intricate, complex machinations of a bruised family unit are at the center of Fassnacht's busy, well-executed debut novel. Patriarch Henry Bronson departed the family home in hopes of regaining the freedom he'd once enjoyed as a successful businessman, but the world is now dominated by corporate downsizing, and his disillusionment is crushing. Abandoned wife Julie self-medicates her depression with daily doses of Zoloft, which fog her brain and quell the anxiety of solo-parenting adult sons Charlie and Barkley. Charlie decided years earlier to leave his high-tech management position and enlist in the armed forces, but he returns from his tour in Afghanistan with overwhelming PTSD. Barkley finally enjoys his first crack at love and a rewarding teaching job, while Julie, a former dancer, rekindles her love of performance through teaching studio classes for women over 40. With everyone reunited and attempting to find their way through life without Henry, whose health begins to fail, an incremental unraveling and subsequent catharsis begins. This familial drama is a bit long on descriptive exposition, the author keeps the gears turning as all four characters contribute their separate strifes and their own means of resolution. Fassnacht has created a relatable quartet of interconnected characters in this engrossing and lucid work. Agent: Markus Hoffman, Regal Literary. (Aug.)