The Red House

Photo: Ben Goldstein/Studio D

7 of 7
The Red House
272 pages; Doubleday
In The Red House, Mark Haddon tells the story of a fractured vacation through the quickly alternating viewpoints of a family in the English countryside. Richard, a wealthy doctor with a new wife and teenage stepdaughter, has invited his sister Angela's family for a week—and, oh, the baggage that piles up in the once-stately house. Resentments, secrets, and inappropriate desires are just the beginning. If you've had your fill of heartwarming endings, Haddon's story about hopelessly disconnected relatives will feel particularly fresh and true.
— Karen Holt