Reunion

At the beginning of Pittard’s emotionally astute second novel (after 2011’s The Fates Will Find Their Way), Kate, a struggling screenwriter, is sitting on the tarmac at an airport; her flight has been grounded because of a storm. While on the runway, Kate receives word that her father is dead. He’s left behind a string of ex-wives (five, to be exact), and, in addition to her sister and brother, Kate has a passel of half-siblings. When this family of sorts gathers in Atlanta for the funeral, there is tension, pain, comedy, and finally, a some healing and resolution. Kate is a winning narrator, whose insights into herself and her family keep the pages turning: describing the relationship between her sister and herself, Kate says “Nell and I talk every day, whether we want to or not. We are addicted to conversation. We are in love with ourselves and our banter and maybe even with each other.” Kate’s voice, the real draw, even extends to the chapter titles (“A Partial List of the Secrets I Keep Track of While I Lie Awake in Bed Most Nights”). (Oct.)