Seven Days of Us

Desmond Elliott Prize, 2018

Paperback / ISBN-13: 9780349415611

Price: £8.99

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The funny, sharply observed and life-affirming Radio 2 Book Club pick.


‘Hilarious and touching’ DAILY MAIL

‘Warm, humane, funny and sad . . . Absolute pleasure reading’ MARIAN KEYES

‘Hilariously funny’ ROSAMUND LUPTON

Absorbing, insightful and immensely enjoyable’ LAURA BARNETT


It’s the holidays, and the Birch family is gathering for the first time in years.

Olivia, the eldest daughter, has returned from treating an epidemic abroad and must go into quarantine for seven days. Her mother has decided it’s the perfect opportunity to spend some ‘special time’ together. Her youngest sister wholeheartedly disagrees. Her father isn’t allowed an opinion.

When no one can leave the house and no one can enter, quaratine for the Birches feels like an eternity.

Especially when they’re all harbouring secrets. One of which is about to come knocking at their door…

One of the best family dramas you’ll ever read’ BEST

‘I LOVED [it] . . . has all the makings of your classic rom-com, with characters that are both remarkable yet wonderfully relatable’ THE UNMUMSY MUM

‘Sharply observed by Hornak’s satirical eye’ GLAMOUR

‘One of the best books of the year’ HELLO!

‘Expertly captures the joys and the tensions of spending any time with those who know you best. It thoroughly deserves to be this year’s big Christmas hit’ THE I

Reviews

If you are struggling with self-isolation in the family home, then this is the novel for you
Abbie Greaves, author of <i>The Silent Treatment</i>
Touching, funny, emotionally intelligent, Seven Days of Us is pure pleasure from beginning to end. It's stylishly written and totally engrossing. I really, really loved it
Adele Geras
An emotional but ultimately uplifting holiday story
Kirkus Review
It's a cliché to say this book is a rollercoaster but the sun came up and the sun went down, people cried for help, and the bath overflowed, and I couldn't move, captivated by this extraordinary page-turner. The plot is compulsive and doesn't let up till the very last chapter. It has more twists and turns than Hampton Court Maze and yet Francesca Hornak guides one through it all with a confident hand until one puts it down, exhausted but exhilarated by such a rollicking good read. Terrific
Virginia Ironside
A superb drama - smart and touching
Sunday Mirror
One of the best books of the year
Hello!
Read it if you like Marian Keyes' Rachel's Holiday... it's one of the best family dramas you'll ever read
Best
LOVED it! Warm and humane, funny and sad, with a great, twisty plot, Seven Days of Us is absolute pleasure reading from beginning to end. Francesca Hornak is a true talent. Just gorgeous!
Marian Keyes
A humorous and heartwarming page-turner
Belfast Telegraph
Witty and deeply heartfelt
Bestselling author Emily Griffin
Hornak's first novel is a farcical gem, perfect for fans of Matthew Norman and Emma Straub. Alternately tender and razor-sharp, Seven Days of Us will resonate with anyone who regresses the minute they step inside their childhood home
Booklist starred review
This book is heartwarming and gloriously funny, anyone who spends the Christmas period with their family will be able to relate hugely to this novel. Thank god it's happening to the characters and not to you!
Doncaster Free Press
An engrossing and funny study of a middle-class British family in crisis. I loved it!
Keith Stuart, bestselling author of <i>A Boy Made of Blocks</i>
Seven Days of Us expertly captures the joys and the tensions of spending any time with those who know you best. It thoroughly deserves to be this year's big Christmas hit
The i
Compassionate, witty and wise
Saskia Sarginson, bestelling author of <i>The Twins</i>
Absorbing, insightful and immensely enjoyable
Laura Barnett, bestselling author of <i>The Versions of Us</i>
With its wry observations on class, family, and veddy-British traditions, Francesca Hornak's absorbing debut sparkles with glints of Nancy Mitford and Julian Fellowes
Stephanie Clifford, <i>New York Times </i> bestselling author of <i>Everybody Rise</i>
I loved this comic drama . . . the plot is genius . . . and the results are hilarious and touching
Daily Mail
Sharply observed by Hornak's satirical eye, this has 'Working Title film deal' written all over it
Glamour