Perfect Family

By Pam Lewis

Book Overview

From the acclaimed author of Speak Softly, She Can Hear , a literary page-turner about a proper New England family and the dark secrets that undo them. Pony Carteret -- the lovely headstrong youngest member of the Carteret family -- has always been a strong swimmer. So when she is discovered drowned at the family's summer home on Lake Aral, Vermont, her red hair tangled in an anchor chain and her baby abandoned on shore, her family is stunned by disbelief. As the police conduct their investigation, Jasper Carteret, the patriarch, calls an urgent family meeting. Had any of her siblings known that Pony would be at the house that day? Was she having personal problems, was she depressed? Had she ever revealed the true identity of her baby's father? Neither sister -- Tinker, the family caretaker, nor Mira, the moody, thoughtful one -- has any information, and ultimately the police rule the drowning an accident. But William Carteret, Pony's older brother, can't accept the explanation that his favorite sister's death was an accident. Determined to uncover the truth, he eventually learns the disturbing fact that a stranger had been present at the house the evening Pony died. Who was this man, what was he doing at the house, and why hasn't he stepped forward? As William digs deeper, his investigations quickly lead him to a new and more daunting series of questions, not only about the mysteries in Pony's life but also about the shadowy details of his deceased mother's past and even his own. Before long, he has opened a Pandora's box of family secrets, including one dangerous fact his mother has kept hidden for a generation. Pam Lewis's Perfect Family is a masterful, atmospheric tale about the ways in which family secrets, no matter how long they're buried, can wield their tremendous power.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743291468
• ISBN13: 9780743291460
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Great book!

I read this book in just a few days. I could not put it down. It kept me guessing through out the whole book. This book def. shows what lies can do to a family. Again a great read!

I loved this book

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I especially loved the ambiance and the well-drawn depth of the the characters. I was born and brougnt up in Massachusetts and am very familiar with Hartford. I regonized the characters as people I have known. A very realistic and engrossing book.

Perfect Family is a Perfect Summer Book

I bought Perfect Family because it was on sale at my book club. I had never heard of the author or the title, just took a chance...kind of like "book roulette". Every once in a while my gambling pays off. This is one of those times. I could not put this book down. I stayed up WAY too late three nights in a row because I was so involved and wanted to find out whodunnit and why. The characters are all unique but interesting in their own ways (except for maybe Jasper, the father, he was kind of vague to me). We know at the beginning of the book that the youngest sister drowns, what we don't know is why or really how. It is a twisted and disturbing journey leading to the big finish. The end of the book is enlightening and well wrapped up. No loose strings hanging which is the mark of a good book in my eyes. If you are looking for a unique page turner for your summer vacation I can't recommend Perfect Family highly enough.

Great Read!

I just finished Perfect Family and absolutely loved it. What a great page-turner and what a well-written story, with great characters. A very enjoyable summer read. I hope Ms. Lewis is working on her next book.

Couldn't put it down

I've passed this book along to four other family members so far and we all agree it's one of the best books we've read in a long time. Tons of interesting characters, a great family story and it's a real page turner. I almost wish I had saved this one for our vacation. I am seriously looking forward to this author's next book.