The Family Upstairs is one of those books that doesn’t make its intention obvious. Instead, the author allows the winding plot to draw the reader in before getting to the point. And what a thrilling point it is. I did not see the climax of this story coming at all.
It initially unfolds from three perspectives. Libby finds out she has come into a big inheritance, which kicks off the chain of events for the rest of the book. Lucy is down on her luck in France. And Henry…well, Henry almost seems like an omniscient being for a good part of the story.
Henry tells the story of the past. We get everything that occurred from his point of view. I am not giving anything away to say that he is an odd duck from the beginning.
The last pages indicate that this continues into adulthood.
More insidious is the story of the family upstairs and how Henry’s entire life changes due to one person’s weakness. Whether that is the intention of the author I don’t know – but that’s what I got from it.
Without saying too much, the question of repetitive psychological abuse and its long-reaching influences weighs heavily in the story.
I can’t stress enough that this is not a book to be read with the intention of getting to the point. The reader must take in everything that is happening, allowing the author to tell the story in its own time.
It is a better read if you allow yourself to be drawn in. That sounds odd. But immersing yourself in the different points of view allows for a greater feeling of the horror suffered by the three main characters.
It takes a while, but when the relationships become clear, it feels like the entire story was building to that point – even as it didn’t feel that way while actually reading it.
I know this all sounds convoluted, and I don’t mean for it to be. This book is different from many others I have read. It is a memorable story. And certainly worth the time to fully embrace the entire atmosphere.
Surprisingly, The Family Upstairs is apparently the first book I have read by this author. Don’t know how that is possible. But I certainly will be looking forward to reading the others in short order.
