I have to confess... I almost put this novel down when I began sensing that it was going to be dealing with hoarding. I am a major type A personality and the idea of mountains of crap everywhere just makes me feel panicky. So imagine my surprise when by chapter three I could NOT put it down! I loved this novel on so many levels... the characters, the format and just the overall rawness of the story. The subject of hoarding is a very difficult disease for people to understand, but LJ did it in a

I had the indulgent experience of reading this Jewell of a book in one day. A rainy Saturday with no commitments. Well none I wanted to face, put it that way!This story really delved into every level of one family's relationships. Layer upon layer upon layer. A family to love and root for, too, but on the other hand, also to grab by the shoulders and shake violently some sense into!I'd been eyeing this book for a couple of years at my library, always looking on the shelf and always being in the

The House We Grew Up In is a family saga with a strong focus on the impact having a family member who is an excessive hoarder has on that person and the rest of the family. This is not a whimsical family tale, but one that at times is rather hard-hitting, shocking and emotional. So many secrets and lies! I loved the characters. If you think your family is messed up. Read this. It’ll make you feel better.I’m in the process of trying to de-clutter my life in many areas, so the idea of hoarding rea...

This was both a disturbing and wonderful read all in one story. I have not read Jewell before but will be on the lookout for more. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this in exchange for a review. The reader is introduced to the warm yet somewhat quirky Bird family while celebrating the Easter Holiday. The story then changes tone with a tragedy that changes the dynamics of each family member and contributes to their future lives and choices.We grow up with each of the younger members

I rate this book 5 out of 5 ⭐ dysfunctional family members⭐This is the story of the Bird family and each one of them is more messed up then the next.Lisa Jewel is an amazing writer. This book is so smooth and natural that I felt like I almost knew the characters. None of them are stereotypes, just people with traumatic childhoods trying (mostly failing) to be well- balanced adults. Luckily the book ended somewhat pleasantly so I was saved from ugly crying but I really don't believe any of the Bi...

Where to start, is the question of the day. I haven't quite decided so this review might be a little all over the place. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell follows the Bird family through the years, alluding to why they are all so estranged then climaxing to the devastating day that caused such a huge rift in each of their lives. That is the basic plot. I don't want to give too much away because it really is a wonderful, insightful journey to take with the family your own. So I'll try not to...

This was a great read that reminded me just how dysfunctional most families are. It's just a tipping of the scale to go from one extreme to another. Easter is a precious holiday to Lorelei and her family; until one year, a terrible tragedy strikes which changes each of them. Their reactions vary but at the centre of the story is Lorelei's hoarding issue and how the family comes undone and how they try to deal with it. Secrets are finally unearthed; relationships begin to repair; and the healing

The Bird family live in a picturesque Gloucestershire village and apparently all love each other and live a perfectly wonderful life. The four children, Megan, Bethan and twins Rory and Rhys enjoy a happy, somewhat chaotic lifestyle with parents happy-clappy, head-in-the-clouds, chasing rainbows, Lorelei and gentle, but ineffectual, Colin. Every Easter there is an Easter egg hunt to which other members of the family, and neighbours are invited, followed by a traditional lunch, which never varies...

Lisa Jewell writes well which made this an easy book to read. It is also a light read because she tries to cover so many social issues in the one story that she is not able to delve deeply into any of them and merely skims over them all. All of the characters are damaged in some way,none of them are especially likable and yet the story is compulsive reading, a bit like watching a car crash. The ending was reasonably realistic and wrapped things up in a fairly optimistic way. I guess I will not a...

This was my first Lisa Jewell book. It was my understanding that she is a chicklit author. This book was not a light, chicklit novel. The story revolves around, The Bird family who are highly dysfunctional and live in a charming cottage-like house in the Cotswolds of England. The title is poignant. Their life seems happy but we glimpse problems with matriarch, Lorelei. Colin, the patriarch just goes with the flow. Not wanting to upset Lorelei. The children can all sense a problem. One Easter the...

Wow, what an amazing read this was! I've read and enjoyed several of Lisa Jewell's novels, and this is my favorite of them. In fact, it's one of the very best books I've read this year.I might never have found this book if I hadn't come across a reference to it in Ellery Adams' The Whispered Word, where it's recommended by a bookshop owner to a husband and wife who have come into conflict over the husband's hoarding tendencies. Well, if any book would persuade a person to stop accumulating more

I've been a fan of Lisa Jewell books for years. After reading most of her current (last 5 years) ones, I began digging into the earlier books, fulfilling my goal to catch up on everything she's written to date. I chose The House We Grew Up In this week, and while I see several of the author's traditional individual style and other elements, I also noticed a difference in the quality of the plot and scene creation. As the years went by, Jewell has mastered her techniques. But in this earlier one,...

Lorelei and Colin Bird are raising their four children - Meg, Beth, and twin boys Rory and Rhys - in a charming house in the Cotswalds.Lorelei's favorite holiday is Easter Sunday, and the Bird house always hosts an Easter egg hunt for the neighborhood children. When the youngsters eat their chocolate eggs, Lorelei collects the foil that covered them, because the colors are so pretty.The Easter festivities are so important to Lorelei that she cajoles her children to participate even when they get...