Down with the Shipmans is a complicated family drama featuring three adult sisters and their dad.
Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore
Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Complicated Family Drama, Sisters, Grief, New Hampshire Coast
***This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links
My Summary:
Thanks #NetGalley @WmMorrowBooks for a complimentary eARC of #DownWithTheShipmans upon my request. All opinions are my own.
Three adult sisters return to their family home on the New Hampshire coast for the first time after the passing of their mother. Dad has called them home to clean out the house because he’s putting it up for sale. This traumatic experience is made more difficult because their dad has remarried a much younger woman. The girls wonder if she is the reason behind their dad’s decision to sell the family home. What are her motives? In addition to the family drama, each sister has her personal challenges/feelings/concerns. They haven’t seen each other, and the communication has been limited since their mom died. Can they come together now to confront their father about selling the home? Can they repair relationships and strengthen their sibling bond?
My Thoughts:
Not too light…not too heavy…
Sisters Are My Favorite
In the midst of grieving the death of their mother, Jordan, Natalie, and Mae struggle to come to terms with selling the family home and accepting their father’s new (much younger) wife. The sisters are very different, and one is several years younger than the older two. Each one brings her own personal baggage as they navigate this delicate and emotional reunion. They are divided in their feelings about selling the home and in their reactions to the new wife.
Down with the Shipmans is a character-driven story told from the points of view of the three sisters. The author gives us three fully developed characters. Jordan is a career woman; Natalie is a trad wife; and Mae is an animal advocate and dog trainer who brings along her rescue dog and is currently homeless and jobless. Each sister experiences grief differently, enjoys her own unique relationship with their dad, and expresses different opinions on selling the house, the new wife, and how to save or discard the possessions.
Sister stories always interest me! I’m one of three sisters. In fact, I am one of two older sisters, and we have a sister who is a few years younger. Even though one of my sisters has died and I’m now one of two, I can relate on many levels to the differences of the three sisters. My sister and I lost our mom several months ago and recently finished settling her estate, so many of the emotions are relatable.
Complicated Family Drama
Down with the Shipmans is NOT dysfunctional family drama, but it is complicated in the ways that many of our families are complicated. Jealousy, resentments, misunderstandings, and secrets are exposed. This earnest and heartfelt story also provides opportunities for understanding, compassion, reconciliation, and healing.
An Alternative to Sandwich!
***UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT*** If you did NOT enjoy Sandwich, this is a much better family drama in my opinion!
Themes
Women’s fiction with substance. Thoughtful themes include sibling rivalry, grief (loss of a mother), selling a family home, resentments, family bonds, memories, animal rescue, reconciliation, secrets, and sisterhood.
Content Consideration: recent death of a mother; grief; workplace sexual harassment (f/f)
Recommending Down with the Shipmans:
I’m enthusiastically recommending Down with the Shipmans for your summer reading! Fans of complicated family drama with likable characters, sibling relationships, and thoughtful themes will enjoy this one! Beach bag approved.
My Rating: 4.5 (rounded to 5)
Meet the Author of Down with the Shipmans, Meg Mitchell Moore
Meg Mitchell Moore is the author of eight novels. Her ninth, MANSION BEACH, is coming in May 2025. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, whichever of her three high school- and college-aged daughters is home at any given time, and two golden retrievers who shed a lot and don’t read at all.
QOTD:
Do you love complicated family drama and stories of sisters?
Let’s Get Social!
Find me at:
Twitter/X
Blue Sky
Instagram (Threads link in bio)
Goodreads and StoryGraph
Pinterest
SubStack: @carolreadingladies
Reading Ladies Book Club on Facebook
My reviews are free, and my blog is a labor of love!
Donations are welcome and appreciated!
Happy Reading Book Buddies!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for reading bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, teaching, and connection. Books take us to places we’ve never been, teach us about our world, and help us understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley
***Blog posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.
All books I review are purchased or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).
Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website receives all credit for book covers and author photos.
© ReadingLadies.com