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    Seven Days of Us: A Novel
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    Seven Days of Us: A Novel
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    Seven Days of Us: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    Seven Days of Us: A Novel

    Written by Francesca Hornak

    Narrated by Jilly Bond

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    #1 LibraryReads Pick

    A warm, wry, sharply observed debut novel about what happens when a family is forced to spend a week together in quarantine over the holidays...

    It's Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew's elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she's been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family.

    For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity—and even decent Wi-Fi—and forced into each other's orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems.

    As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down.

    In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who's about to arrive…

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 17, 2017
    ISBN9780525498919
    Unavailable
    Seven Days of Us: A Novel

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    Reviews for Seven Days of Us

    3.5/5

    168 ratings27 reviews

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    • 5/5
      ven Days of  Us" by Francesca Hornak  Berkley October 2018Francesca Hornak, Author of "Seven Days of Us" has written an intense, intriguing, captivating, riveting, unique,  and emotional novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Women's Fiction. There are touches for Romance and Suspense as well.  The author describes her dysfunctional characters as complex and complicated.Can you imagine being quarantined, and FORCED to live with your family for seven days in the same residence without some problems occurring.? It is Christmas, and the Birch family is anything but traditional. Each individual character has their deep  secrets and unique problems. Andrew Birch, the father.  finds out that he has a son he never knew about that wants to visit. Emma, his wife has some devastating secrets that will affect the family.  Phoebe, the fun-loving, absorbed younger daughter is planning a wedding with a man that she has been with six years.Olivia Birch is one of the sisters , and a physician that has been working with people dying from a horrible virus. In order to be able to visit with her family, Olivia and the rest of the family has to be quarantined and  locked up together for seven days.  Olivia is not at all used to living in a modern world, and re-adjusting is a big task. What makes this worse, is Olivia's co-worker and unknown to everyone, boyfriend,  has now come down with this deadly disease.Can anything else go wrong?  If anyone enters the Birch home they have to be quarantined as well. The Wi-Fi is intermittent, and the family is forced to  interact and deal with one another. I appreciate that the author discusses many contemporary issues such as epidemics, homosexuality, exploring life choices and growth, and the devastating effects of  omission and secrets. The author also mentions the importance of family, emotional support, love and hope. I recommend this novel for those readers that enjoy an intriguing and emotional read. 
    • 4/5
      A week is a long time to spend confined to your house as a family, especially if each of you is hiding something from the others. Andrew and Emma Birch and their two grown daughters are spending Christmas together for the first time in years, and because eldest daughter Olivia, a doctor, has been working among patients of a deadly disease outbreak in Africa, they will spend it in strict quarantine. And due to the things that each member of the family is not telling the others, it's bound to be anything but a calm, quiet week at the country estate.I enjoyed this a great deal. The author does an excellent job with characterization -- I found my self both liking and being annoyed by each character in turn (though, of course, some annoyed me more than others!). She also walks a fine line with the possibility that Olivia might develop symptoms of the disease, finding ways to keep up the dramatic tension, when it might have otherwise evaporated. And all of that is balanced with plenty of pleasantly humorous moments. If you enjoy family dramas, especially set during the Christmas season, you'll probably find this to be just the thing.
    • 4/5
      The Birch family will all be together for Christmas for the first time in years--and they'll be spending it at their country house in quarantine as eldest daughter Olivia has just returned from a months-long aid trip to Africa to treat patients at the center of an outbreak of a hemorrhagic fever. As they are all cooped up together until Olivia is officially declared symptom free, their enforced proximity intensifies the pressure of the holidays--a situation made even more volatile by the fact that every member of the family is keeping something to themselves that they really probably ought to tell everyone about. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel that works like a character study of a family. All the characters were interesting and I cared about each of them (even the ones I found annoying). The tone is just the right mix of light and heavy--think a slightly heavier, slightly less overtly humorousThe Family Stone set in the UK rather than New England, and you'll about have it. Recommended if this sounds your kind of thing.
    • 4/5
      The Birch family is going to spend Christmas all together for the first time in several years. Older daughter Olivia, a doctor, is coming home from Liberia after working on relief for the Haag epidemic. Haag sounds a great deal like Ebola, except that being fictional, it has an incubation period of just seven days, making it more convenient for a a contained family drama.

      The Birch family will have to share Olivia's quarantine, starting December 23, and ending December 30. Emma, mother of Olivia and her younger sister, Phoebe, is thrilled that they will all be together. Quite determinedly thrilled.

      Emma gave up her intended catering career when the second baby, Phoebe, was born. With two children, she pushed husband Andrew to give up his war correspondent career. He's now a restaurant critic. He's always doted on Phoebe, who is bright, cheerful, goes with him to restaurants he's reviewing, and pursuing a tv career. Phoebe and Emma are close in other ways, but perhaps not as close as Phoebe and Andrew.

      Olivia seems distant to all of them. This is the first time in years she's come home for Christmas.

      Andrew and Emma each conceal the fact of their resentment of the loss of their preferred careers--directed at each other, not at the girls.

      They're all going to spend seven days locked up in Weyfield, Emma's inherited family home in Norfolk, rather than the family flat in London. Emma is the only one who really likes the big, drafty, unmodernized house.

      Phoebe has just gotten engaged to George, her boyfriend since university. That she has told everyone makes her a bit unusual in this family. Emma has found a lump under her arm, and has just been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She hs told her friend Nicola, but not her family. Olivia has been secretly having a romance with a fellow doctor while in Liberia. That it has progressed beyond mere words is against the Haag containment rules, and neither she nor Sean has told anyone.

      What Andrew hasn't told anyone is that eighteen months ago, he got a letter from Leila Deeba, a woman he had a one-night-stand with in Lebanon in 1980. In the letter she has told him that she had a son from that one-night-stand, and had him adopted. He's never contacted her, but she's dying now, and if her son ever tracks her down, or Andrew, she wants Andrew to know, and be prepared.

      And just a few weeks ago, he got an email from that son, Jesse, who has grown up in America. He didn't find his birth mother until after she died, but he's found Andrew now, and wants to meet him.

      Sean collapses at Heathrow Airport, just after he's parted from Olivia.

      George crashes the quarantine the day after Christmas.

      Jesse crashes it a day later, having gotten no response from Andrew.

      I had my doubts at first, but this turns into a fascinating look at a complicated family, whose members are each interesting in their own ways, and who make an interesting whole.

      Well worth some of your reading time.

      I received a free electronic galley from the publisher via NetGalley.
    • 3/5
      I was in search of an easy read, and this did the trick. That is not to say its a happy read necessarily, jut one that requires little of the reader. Family is forced to be together via contrived circumstance (it is the literary equivalent of the trapped-in-the-elevator trope.) In the immortal words of the MTV The Real World we get to see "what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real."There is some madcap fun, a little death, a little birth, a little social justice, and some emotional satisfaction in the reaffirmation of the importance of family. Perfectly nice read.1 like
    • 2/5
      Thank you to the author and the publishers for the chance to read this book in advance, I apologize for not getting to it sooner. I am annoyed by this book for many reasons. There are redeeming parts to the story, but not enough for me to mention in any great detail. I want to write why I'm annoyed. Because I don't know if you know this, but I'm annoyed.I suggest not reading this review if you want to give the novel a fair chance and go in with an untarnished view of everything, so I will be classifying the rest of this as spoilers. Also I will reveal details about the book that are genuinely spoilers.[Reasons I'm annoyed:1. I haven't read a book with more unlikable, depressing characters in a long, long time. I don't want to use the word 'hate,' so 'strongly dislike' feels right. Nobody except for the character that plays the smallest part in the novel, Sean, was even remotely worth liking. Andrew? Dead inside. Emma? Ridiculous and overly campy (however, she was kind with a good soul. Still didn't like her character though.) Phoebe? Head stuck up her ass whilst simultaneously completely self-absorbed. An impressive feat. Olivia? Also dead inside. (She proves to be kind of okay at the end, but too little too late, I'm afraid.) Jesse? I think if I had to use the word 'hate' for any one of the characters, it would be to describe him. George? Garbage, I think you mean. However, I think that's the conclusion you're meant to come to. Nobody likes anybody and everybody is fed up with everybody until the end...it made me depressed to read about. This was not the fun holiday read I had expected. I don't like to read descriptions of books before I start them (I like to go in without forming any prior opinions. I do indeed know this is a double-edged sword and not always the smartest choice.)2. The lack of details and the amount of presumptions the reader is supposed to make, I find to be ridiculous. The mere brush of lips on Jesse's neck by George is enough for us to assume there was a hookup between them? Literally that's all that is given. Lips on neck for a second. But later we are told they hooked up. That bothered me because I missed an entire level of gravity that the situation took on. It was far more serious than I had originally believed and I felt duped. Phoebe twists (or breaks, not sure, details not given) her ankle, but a mere few days later she's running down a London pavement? Zero mention of her ankle maybe hurting, or maybe how she's feeling better so it's okay that she's running on it. Nothing. Olivia gets pregnant whilst swearing up and down she took EVERY precaution not to. Well, you didn't, did you?! Condoms are pretty straightforward nowadays, and I want to presume she was on contraceptives. Again, I want to assume. I don't know. Wasn't told.3. PLEASE DON'T READ THE NEXT LINE IF YOU TRULY WANT TO READ THE BOOK.THE ONLY NOT-ANNOYING CHARACTER IN THE BOOK IS KILLED OFF? WHY? Why. WhY? whY? Did the author know that the entirety of the novel wasn't enough to be truly memorable for the reader, and so a shock value was necessary? I literally gasped when I read it, completely unprepared for the tragedy of Sean dying. Olivia sucked as a person, zero personality, but did she deserve more tragedy than she'd already experienced? Why was that necessary? What was the point? I don't see an underlying meaning here or some profound message for the reader. I see WAKE UP, LOOK, THE GOOD ONE DIED CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?????????? YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING HUH???? NOW OLIVIA IS SAD FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!So I ended the book with a feeling of anger and annoyance. I feel like I've wasted my time. I was ready to give this 2.5 rounded up to 3, but I've rounded down to a flat 2. (hide spoiler)]So, yes. No. Sorry. This did nothing for me, other than to increase the dent between my eyebrows and create deeper wrinkles for me. So, that feels like a nice bout of karma for the author after this bitchy review. I'm sorry for that. I don't like to be bitchy; authors work their asses off to make these works of art we call books. I might go back and edit when I'm feeling less annoyed but for now, this is how I feel.
    • 4/5
      Many of us spent the holidays surrounded by family. It's enjoyable to spend times with loved ones, but what if you were quarantined with them for seven days? That is the premise of British writer Francesca Hornak's novel The Seven Days of Us.Emma is delighted that her eldest daughter Olivia will be returning home for the first Christmas in a long time. Olivia has been volunteering as a doctor in Liberia, working to help people dying of Haag, a disease similar to Ebola. Olivia is the reason the family must be quarantined at Emma's ancestral family home.Emma wants everything to be perfect for Christmas. From the food to the decorations to the gifts, she has attended to every small detail.Her husband Andrew used to be a war correspondent but he left that for a safer, more boring job as a restaurant critic. Younger daughter Phoebe is engaged to George, who comes from a respectable family.And everyone has a secret. Olivia has been hiding her relationship with a fellow doctor from everyone. Waiting out seven days to make sure neither of them has Haag is stressing her out. Emma is hiding her own health crisis from everyone, not wanting to ruin Christmas. Andrew received a mysterious letter from a young man that he hides from everyone.Phoebe is obsessed with having the perfect wedding, and Olivia finds her obsession shallow. (I admit to finding Phoebe a bit of a selfish brat.) Olivia obsessively refreshes the news on her IPAd browser, looking for information on the Haag crisis. She has trouble readjusting to life at home.Andrew appears to hate any kind of conflict, and for someone who used to be a war correspondent, he seems kind of useless. He has a special relationship with Phoebe, taking her along on his restaurant trips, but he should have more in common with Olivia. Along with secrets, there are coincidental meetings that come back into play later in the story creating complications.The Seven Days of Us would be a wonderful Christmas movie, there is so much here for everyone who has a family to enjoy. I most identified with Emma, naturally, and there are even some terrific passages for the foodie fan (Emma is a wonderful cook and at one time considered opening up a catering business).
    • 5/5
      Really delightful---very appealing cast of characters and Hornak moves between them almost hour by hour with the result that you feel as though you, too, are quarantined with this this family. Great story with lots happening in just seven days.
    • 4/5
      Family togetherness can be both a blessing and a curse. Once children are grown, families tend to gather together less and less and often only around the holidays. If you've just been with family at the holidays, you know how hard it can be to be under one roof together for an extended period of time. Now just imagine of you weren't just together but that you were quarantined so there was definitely no way to escape your loved ones, no popping out to grocery shop, no walk down the street, no outside contact at all. This is the situation in Francesca Hornak's novel Seven Days of Us.The Birch family is about to spend seven days together in quarantine over Christmas. Eldest daughter Olivia is a doctor just returning to Britain after spending time in Liberia treating victims of the deadly Haag virus. She has to stay locked up for the seven day viral incubation period in case she comes down with the terrifying disease. Despite not returning home for the past several years for Christmas, this year Olivia will have more than enough time with her parents and her younger sister at their country place, Weyfield Hall in Norfolk, beyond the reach of good cell service and reliable wi-fi. Mother Emma has just been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma but she's keeping her diagnosis a secret, worried that Olivia won't come home if she knows what a danger her presence could be. Instead she's invested in being the cheerful, nothing's wrong, martyr mum as she caters to her family, trying to keep all their traditions alive, even if no one else cares much about them anymore. Father Andrew is snarky and emotionally distant. He's a former war correspondent turned unhappy food critic who is more than uncommonly unkind in his reviews. He's also harboring a secret this holiday season, having gotten two emails from a young American man named Jesse who is the product of a one night stand Andrew had in Beirut before he and Emma married. This heretofore unknown son wants to meet Andrew but Andrew's best defense against Jesse is to ignore the emails and definitely not tell his wife and daughters about them. Youngest daughter Phoebe is used to being the center of attention. She's the golden child. She's also self-absorbed, frivolous, and shallow and she's just gotten engaged to her long time boyfriend, who is a complete and total wanker. She's more consumed with planning her wedding and whether or not George got her the right earrings for Christmas than anything else (except maybe lording her most favored child status over Olivia) but under all of this bratty self-centeredness, she has a lingering sense that her relationship is not all it could or should be. Olivia should be the heroic figure, the doctor who risks her life treating others, but she's so condescending and intolerant of her family's affluence and traditions that she comes across as judgmental and sanctimonious. Like the others, she too is hiding something this Christmas. She's fallen in love with a fellow doctor and the two of them broke the strict "No Touch" rule they lived under in Liberia, a fact that she is at great pains to hide, especially once Sean is diagnosed with Haag himself and is splashed all over the media.Just the secrets and lack of communication between the Birches, never mind their divergent personalities, means that spending seven days together with no respite will not be easy. This enforced family togetherness will challenge them, exposing the cracks in their relationships with each other, highlighting how little they share anymore, and showing how much they still have the capacity to hurt each other. But it turns out that it won't just be the four of them together as two other people show up unexpectedly and are forced to join in the quarantine, complicating the dysfunctional family dynamic even further and stressing things to the breaking point.The novel is told in sections detailing each day of the quarantine and then subdivided into short chapters focused on each of the major characters in turn. As the days pass, the reader can see the frustrations rise, the lack of communication grow, and each character become more purely and stubbornly him or herself. The narrative starts off with some pretty huge, rather unbelievable coincidences but Hornak actually makes them work far better and less predictably than might have been expected. These coincidences don't stop as the story goes on, but by then the reader is invested enough in the outcome that it no longer matters. The characters mostly all start off as not very likable and while they don't change out of all recognition, each of them learns and grows and becomes a little more sympathetic during the seven days they spend together. The end of the novel could very well descend into a treacly disaster of a Christmas story and it is greatly to Hornak's credit that it doesn't, instead striking just the right note for both satisfaction and believability. A generally enjoyable read, this will make you cringe and laugh as you contemplate your own family quirks and conflicts and you'll find yourself grateful that you aren't likely to be (figuratively) locked up with them again until next Christmas.
    • 3/5
      The Birches have much reason to celebrate this holiday season. Their daughter Olivia is coming home for Christmas, for once. Olivia is a doctor returning from a trip to Liberia where the Haag epidemic has been traumatizing and she is forced into quarantine for 7 days after her return. Joining her will be her mother, Emma, who is keeping a major secret so as not to ruin Christmas. Also present will be her father, Andrew, who writes a column reviewing restaurants and his secret from more than three decades ago will make an appearance. Then her sister, Phoebe, who demands the attention of everyone, still lives at home with her parents, and is planning her wedding during the quarantine. Can they get past the miscommunication and secrets to have a happy Christmas or will the secrets prepare for a battle of betrayal?It took a long time to pick up speed. Little bread crumbs had been dropped along the way which did build up to the second half, however, the first half was so slow that I was tempted many times to move on to another book. Fortunately, I did make it through and it picked up very quickly after about 60% into the book. A great portion of it was predictable, yet the character development finally comes through and I could not put the book down.I gave it three stars because I took one star away for how long it took for the story to pick up speed and therefore the amount of times that I was almost at the point of giving up. I took another star away because there were far too many coincidences with the characters and too many secrets that it became overwhelming at times. When Jesse met Emma, for example, and she reveals her secret to him, a stranger. Emma then went on to meet Sean, Olivia's secret. Jesse also met George, Phoebe's fiancee, randomly while on a walk and again randomly in a bar and discovered his secret. I would (and have) recommended this book for those who have traveled to Africa and feel that the warfare and politics of Africa are far too easily ignored in the West. Additionally, for those who feel that the rest of the world groups Africa into one general concept rather than it being an entire continent. I would also recommend this book for readers who enjoy reading about family dynamics and secrets being revealed. Much like (one of my favorite authors) Liane Moriarty books, that are told in different perspectives and center around secrets. I would not recommend this book for those who may be offended or triggered by: foul language, cancer, sibling rivalry, homophobia, infidelity, infectious diseases, and warfare in Liberia. Please note: an advanced reader copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review (thank you Berkley Publishing Group!)
    • 4/5
      This is a tale of a family forced to spend Christmas week (2016) in quarantine in their country house. Each family member has a problem. For Emma, the mother, it is a health problem she choses to keep secret until after the holidays. For Andrew, the father, it is the appearance of a grown son (Jesse) he didn't know he had. Phoebe, the younger daughter, is having second thoughts about her coming marriage. Olivia, the elder daughter, is coping with the news that her medical colleague (and lover) has tested positive for the very virus that has put her family under quarantine.All of these family secrets are dealt with in an almost farcical romp of coincidences, minor spats and major quarrels, and increasing anxiety as the secrets are exposed at the most inopportune moments possible. The characters' flaws and strengths are revealed with warmth, empathy, and humor.The novel is divided into major sections--one for each day. Each of these sections is further divided into short chapters giving the different points of view of each family member (including Jesse). This format worked well, resulting in a sort of ensemble piece giving equal voice to each individual. However, it did keep me reading well past my bedtime. I kept thinking "...just one more short chapter..." and then ..."another..." and then it was 2:30am and I had finished the book.A very enjoyable read.Advanced review copy from the publisher via Goodreads giveaway
    • 3/5
      When Olivia Birch's rotation is over in Africa after helping treat epidemic victims, she has to be quarantined for seven days to watch for signs of the Haag virus. Her family decides to welcome her for the holidays and they all retreat to their country home, Weyfield Hall. The news that a fellow doctor has tested positive for the virus is jarring, but doesn't stop others from breaching the family compound and having to remain in quarantine with the Birches. The book moves somewhat slowly, each day is broken down by various hours and each character's movement at the specific time. On the one hand it probably details the boredom of those long, slow days, but I also felt like I never got to know all of the characters very well. The family dynamics are pretty dysfunctional, which I guess they should be to make any sort of story, but it got to be a bit much for the book to be able to live up to its' intriguing premise.
    • 4/5
      Seven days of togetherness along with secrets and tension make up the Birch family's Christmas holiday this year.Emma has a health secret.Andrew has a really big secret from his past.Olivia has something she has to keep secret while in quarantine.Phoebe really doesn't have a secret but is very self centered.Staying in Emma's family estate is a bit challenging since Emma doesn't like to change anything from when she spent time there as she grew up. Things are old and decaying, and the technological side of it is very slow.I wasn't sure what this book was going to be like at first, but once each chapter began to reveal things about each character, it became a very good read for me.I laughed a lot as well as worried a lot. The funniest thing was that each year they planted the Christmas tree back in the same spot and uprooted it again for the next Christmas. The worries about their secret were intense for some of the characters, and I worried along with them.SEVEN DAYS OF US was well written and a light read even though some of the issues were not light. The family grew on me to the point that I would have liked to be quarantined with them. An enjoyable read that will have you wondering what decisions you would have made about your secrets and situations. SEVEN DAYS OF US also has some heart wrenching events.Excellent debut novel - marvelous writing and detail as well as a great story line. 4/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Also participating in the reviews for Great Thought's Ninja Review Team.
    • 4/5
      Olivia Birch is a doctor who is returning to England to spend the holidays with her family. Because she was treating an epidemic in Liberia, her entire family will be quarantined during her visit. Her mother Emma is looking forward to the week together since it is rare for everyone to be in the same location. The siblings are less enthused since they will be forced together and can't leave the house. Phoebe, the youngest daughter, is the only child living at home but that will change shortly as the family prepares for her upcoming wedding. Olivias father Andrew recently learned that his illegitimate son wants to meet him. This news weighs on him since he never told his wife about his illegitimate child who was conceived during a brief affair. Living in close proximity starts to wear on the family and life deteriorates further as the week progresses. The lack of privacy affects everyone pushing them outside of their comfort zone. Secrets are revealed causing friction among the family members. Soon extra house guests arrive adding to the intrigue and mystery.This is a debut novel by Francesca Hornak. Each chapter is a day in their week and is presented from each family member's point of view. The author does a wonderful job of reflecting the complications of family relationships.
    • 4/5
      I read this book in a few days! It was a good read! I liked all the characters and their different personalities which came out when they are stuck together for 7 days in quarantine after the oldest daughter who is a Dr. returns home from treating an epidemic overseas. Each character has a secret they are trying to keep, but it comes out and they do a fine job of adjusting to it. The book was well written.
    • 5/5
      We all have dreams of that perfect Christmas at home with our families and it never seems to happen. Imagine being in quarantine for seven days at Christas with your immediate family that you usually try to avoid at the holidays. That's just what happens in this wonderful novel about a family - who all have secrets from the others - being forced to spend seven days together. Olivia is the oldest daughter. She is a doctor just returned from fighting an epidemic in Africa. She is serious and always questioning all of the extravagance of her family's life in England compared to the poverty she sees in Africa. Her younger sister, Phoebe, is a flighty daddy's girl who just wants to party and plan her wedding. Their Dad is a columnist who writes scathing restaurant reviews and Emma, the mom, is thrilled to have her family together for the holidays even though she has a major health secret that she plans to reveal after the quarantine. Then someone unknown to all of them joins them in their quarantine and secrets are revealed.This is a lovely story about a family in crisis. Though it deals with some serious subjects, there is also a lot to laugh about. The characters are well written with all of their goodness and flaws on display. I loved this family and I loved this novel - put it on your tbr lists, you don't want to miss it.Thanks to BookBrowse for a copy of this book to read and review.
    • 4/5
      A really good story. The Birch Family (mom/dad/adult daughters Olivia and Phoebe) retire to their country estate to spend the week between Christmas and the New Year. They are actually quarantined there as Olivia as just returned from working in Monrovia as an M.D. treating patients of HAAG, a dangerous, communicable ebola like illness. Olivia has made a point of avoiding family holidays for years so you already know the week will be a trying one. And, in the midst of the immediate family dynamics, there are 3 other characters added to the mix: Phoebe's fiance George, Olivia's love interest Sean, and another guy named Jesse. It is a thoughtful book about relationships and family dynamics, with a bit of comic relief. I found my feelings for the characters changing as I got deeper into the book. The characters all had reason to reassess the meaning of their lives and discover that they can have a hand in how they choose to live it.
    • 4/5
      I won this in a giveaway. OK, have you ever picked up a book expecting a certain story, read it, get exactly what you expected but still be extremely surprised and entertained when you finished? "Seven Days of Us" by Francesca Hornak is it! I enjoyed this peak into someone else's world. A solid GOOD READ.
    • 5/5
      fiction. Really good family drama set in Norfolk, England.
    • 4/5
      A family (melo)drama about being stuck together and facing buried secrets and unvoiced hurts, this novel strikes both a serious and satirical tone. The author captures well the reverse culture-shock older daughter Olivia faces when coming home from Liberia. The rest of the family felt a bit tropey to me, but maybe they're supposed to be? This was a fast and engaging read, and I am curious to hear what my library book club will have to say.
    • 5/5
      I had heard so much about this book I had to read it. Wasn’t sure it was for me at the very beginning, but after a few chapters, the family had me hooked. Thoroughly enjoyable read, was unable to put it down. A lot of family dynamics in this book, but easy to follow, and relatable. Author had a little twist towards the end that I didn’t expect. Gave me an ‘awww’ moment. Ms. Hornak wrote of a Haag virus and the horrors that the saintly workers go thru, even after they come home. Highly recommend.

      I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this story. Phoebe was a little self absorbed and selfish, Olivia was clueless about what is going on with the family and cared more about saving people than fixing relationships in her own family, Andrew sacrificed what he loved to be home with his family and it showed in his restaurant reviews since he pretty much trashed everyone one and Emma just wants to make sure everything is going smoothly. Then there is a fiance who sounded like a jerk and a lost son who just wanted to meet his father. Then throw them all into a quarantine for a week and see how a family gets along and if they will abide by the quarantine rules.

      The characters were very different and that made the story interesting. There were funny parts, sad parts and parts where you just wanted to throttle someone. I really enjoyed this and when it comes out in October, pick it up and be entertained.

      Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.
    • 4/5
      It’s just a seven-day quarantine, not really a lock-down, but the inmates are restless and some are looking to break out. It’s Christmas time and the whole Birch is home, and because one of them is a doctor who had been treating people in a third-world country plagued by a deadly epidemic, she and the rest of her family are behind closed doors. They are not exactly a close family, and soon they get on each other’s nerves. Throw in some unexpected guests and some closely guarded secrets that work their way to the surface, and the pressure builds to a boiling point. But the more they learn of others, the better they know themselves. This may not be the typical warm and cozy holiday novel, but it is entertaining and most unusual, just like the Birch family is.
    • 4/5
      Locked together for 7 days because of Olivia’s return from Africa where she’s been working at a hospital dealing with an epidemic. The family needs to be quarantined. During this time they learn a lot about each other and themselves. Its not a British farce but at times with people coming in and out, it had the appearance of a farce without the humor.
    • 4/5
      Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak has been on my list for a quite a while. I am all over the chart with a review for this one so I guess I’ll activate stream-of-consciousness and type away.The Birch family will spend Christmas holidays and new year together as they are under a quarantine. It will be the first time in years all four will be together for an extended period of time and they don’t always get along well. The eldest daughter, Olivia, is a doctor and she has been treating the Haag Virus in Liberia. She is the reason for the quarantine as she and other aide workers have been voluntarily treating an epidemic. Now she has returned to England and promised to spend the holidays at home during her quarantine. Initially Olivia is the only likable character (for me).Our starring characters are Emma and Andrew Birch (the parents) and the two daughters Phoebe and Olivia. The supporting cast members are Phoebe’s fiancee George, Jesse Robinson who is Andrew’s son from a relationship he had in Lebanon when he was a war reporter (and also a complete Surprise! as Andrew didn’t know he fathered a child) and Sean Coughlin, an Irish doctor who hooked up with Olivia in Liberia.Emma: Early on, so no spoiler here, Emma is diagnosed with cancer. Does she confide this to her husband or daughters? Nope, only her best friend knows. This is because Emma doesn’t want to ruin Christmas. She is fussy to the extreme over everything being perfect. While I understand the maternal overdrive when it comes to your kids, she’s way over the top. (I ended up liking her quite a bit and had empathy)Andrew is….forgive my truthful language….a complete prick and a toff. He’s disconnected with his eldest daughter Olivia and clearly favors Phoebe. I think he’s jealous that he gave up his war correspondent life, an exciting career and meaningful reporting to be at home. Olivia meanwhile spends her time in third world countries administering to those less fortunate in the way of healthcare….and I think Andrew wishes he had his bohemian lifestyle back watching Olivia from the sidelines. His current job penning restaurant reviews is clearly unfulfilling. He always has to make the column tongue-in-cheek at the expense of the chef. He is also hiding a secret, just as his wife is doing. But it’s not cancer.Phoebe: Shallow and self centered. She pouts because her fiancée got her the wrong earrings for Christmas. She wanted hoops and received pearls. She snaps at Olivia for looking at her iPad (as Olivia needs to know about Sean) “You never get it, do you?” Phoebe snaps.“I don’t? I’m not the one crying because I got some ridiculously expensive earrings, when millions of children are malnourished,” said Olivia.“Oh my god, do you always have to bring it back to Africa?”Olivia: She is committed to helping those less fortunate, putting her life at risk to give medical aid. She avoids being home during holidays and this time, I am sure she regrets giving in to spend time with them. Even though I think she’d like to connect with her father she doesn’t respect him.From her point of view:Andrew repeatedly told, or started to tell, a story about lighting a fire in the desert with a magnifying glass during the Soviet Afghan war. “You know, this reminds me….” He never talked about the Afghan people, or the politics at the time – just his own Boy Scouts memories. But it was that way at home, everyone sticking to a script, wheeling out the same exhausted anecdotes.Olivia and Sean started a relationship while they were in Liberia even though it was expressly against rules due to the possible spread of a dangerous epidemic. She wants to be with him after the quarantine is over and a tragedy strikes.In the beginning I was thinking these were the biggest lot of self-indulgent people I’d read about and wouldn’t care to be friends or acquaintances with Andrew or Phoebe, probably not the rest of them either now that I think of it. Three quarters through the book I changed my mind about some of the characters. Secrets were revealed and the characters let their guard down, shared genuine feelings and emotions and thus, connected with one another in an honest way. Andrew was, in fact, not the prick I thought he was….not deep down. His moments with Olivia in his den were honest and I wish he had opened up much earlier.A fun dysfunctional family drama for the holidays!Whenever books or music are mentioned I check into the titles. One book called Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe was referred to a favorite of Emma and Phoebe’s, I think because it was set in 1980’s Camden where they lived. As Olivia says, “They kept pointing out it was 1980’s Camden as if this were a mark in its favor. Why would she want to revisit her own blinkered childhood? Olivia liked books she could escape into, fantasies and thrillers.” Also mentioned was the series the Archers. Emma was listening to the broadcast over the radio. There was quite a bit of food mentioned in the book, as you may imagine with Andrew being a food critic, but most were in reference to the family meals rather than his weekly column. Here are a few below:*Turkey curry, richly peaty smoked salmon, mincemeat creme brulee, lemon sole.*Olivia’s homecoming was planned and prepared by Emma – a top roast, garlicky green beans, Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes (Delia Smith’s recipe). Champagne and Bordeaux.*Fuchsia borscht marbled with sour cream and studded with porcini.*Vol-au-vents : Buttery, garlicky mushrooms in puff pastry *A pan of eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon.Vegan aubergine curry.*Claudia Roden is mentioned for her Chicken and Saffron Rice with Raisins and Almonds.Since I read and notice food I always post about it on Novel Meals!
    • 5/5
      Seven Days of Us starts out slowly but stay with it because it is one of the best books I have read in a while. Told in alternating viewpoints, the Birch family chronicles the seven days they spend in quarantine (or as the patriarch Andrew Birch calls it “Haag arrest”) following the older daughter Olivia’s return from Africa where she was treating a deadly ebola-like virus called the Haag virus. Each Birch member has secrets that are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. Francesca Hornak masterfully weaves various characters’ tales together in a witty and believable manner that kept me laughing (except for one heartbreaking scene) and dying to know what would happen next. The characters are well-developed, and the author delves into the circumstances that create each individual’s current circumstance and personality. In doing so, Hornak adds depth to each character, and I found myself more sympathetic to the characters that were not as likeable initially.On a side note, Hornak delves into the treating of the Haag virus, and I found the required protocols followed by Olivia and her fellow doctors fascinating and somewhat depressing and scary. While humans have made great strides treating various diseases, Olivia’s tale is a reminder that we still have a long way to go towards eradicating other maladies. Such detail also made me sympathize with Olivia as she tries to reintegrate into first world society.I highly, highly recommend Seven Days of Us and am certain it will qualify as a top ten book of 2017 for me. Thanks to BookBrowse for the chance to read this ARC.
    • 3/5
      This a quirky story. It is cute and humorous but at the same time very serious. The author is adept at using humor to lighten serious issues. The family dynamic worked really well here and the fact that everyone had something to hide made for great moments in the story. Despite these good points the melodrama became too much for me at times. In addition, I was not a fan of the ending and it felt rushed. I know some people loved this book and some were, like me, lukewarm about this one. If you have not read this one yet, all I can tell you is, it may or may not be your cup of tea. I suppose you'll have to read it for yourself and decide which side you fall on.