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A review by emilyinherhead
The Family Outing by Jessi Hempel
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This is a story about every member of Jessi Hempel’s immediate family coming out within the span of five years, four of those five (Jessi, her siblings, and her dad) discovering and sharing aspects of their sexuality, and the fifth (her mom) coming to understand new things about trauma she experienced as a young person.
But, more than that, it’s about where her family came from, how it fell apart in various ways over the years, and how it has slowly been repaired and strengthened.
Hempel writes about her siblings and parents carefully and lovingly, even when she’s describing periods of conflict, misunderstanding, pain, or lack of contact. She conducted extensive interviews with all of them as part of The Project (how she refers to it) of writing this book, and it shows. Even when I didn’t understand or agree with certain of the family members’ decisions or actions, I felt for them deeply and ached for them to find themselves and each other again.
The best part of this complex and layered family tale is the hopeful ending. Everyone is in a good place by the last page, continuing to figure their own lives out and staying in touch to love and support each other. This family is not perfect, as of course no family is, but they’ve lived through a lot and come out better for it on the other side. I left the reading experience cheering for them and inspired to improve my relationships with some of my own relatives and loved ones.
(Thank you to HarperOne and NetGalley for the advance copy)
But, more than that, it’s about where her family came from, how it fell apart in various ways over the years, and how it has slowly been repaired and strengthened.
Hempel writes about her siblings and parents carefully and lovingly, even when she’s describing periods of conflict, misunderstanding, pain, or lack of contact. She conducted extensive interviews with all of them as part of The Project (how she refers to it) of writing this book, and it shows. Even when I didn’t understand or agree with certain of the family members’ decisions or actions, I felt for them deeply and ached for them to find themselves and each other again.
The best part of this complex and layered family tale is the hopeful ending. Everyone is in a good place by the last page, continuing to figure their own lives out and staying in touch to love and support each other. This family is not perfect, as of course no family is, but they’ve lived through a lot and come out better for it on the other side. I left the reading experience cheering for them and inspired to improve my relationships with some of my own relatives and loved ones.
(Thank you to HarperOne and NetGalley for the advance copy)