One Beautiful Year of Normal

 

One Beautiful Year of Normal by Sandra K. Griffith
2/24/26; 312 pages
She Writes Press  

One Beautiful Year of Normal by Sandra K. Griffith is a highly recommended Southern domestic drama, with gothic and soap opera undertones, which focuses on character development while exploring family secrets.  

At age eight while living in NYC, August Caine's father was murdered and her French mother retreated into silence and depression. August was caring for her mother and their home until Helen showed up on August's eleventh birthday, getting her mother help and taking August to Savannah. August spent one wonderful year with her Aunt Helen and experienced a real childhood, safety, a social life, and bonding with an adult who cared for her. Then her mentally ill mother arrived, and snatched August away to France and keeping them constantly on the move so they couldn't be found.

Then August, at age thirty, receives a shocking phone call from a Savannah attorney informing her that her Aunt Helen has passed away - but August's mother said she died fifteen years earlier. August, who was living in Paris under a new name, returns to Savannah, Georgia for her aunt Helen's funeral and to settle the estate, which August inherits. Once there she realizes she needs to solve her father's murder, address the complex relationship with her mother, dig into her family history, and even reconnects with an old friend.

This is a well-written, descriptive and atmospheric, but slow-paced, character driven drama written from August’s first-person perspective as she explores her past while dealing with her current situation. Much of her life has been filled with deception, starting with her father's unsolved murder followed closely by her mother's illness and lies, resulting in much of the soul-searching narrative focused on an examination of her life. The plot is really an introspective deep dive into the psychological effects of the trauma and deceit in her life. This exploration makes since based on Griffith’s background in psychology.

The narrative was interesting and held my attention, however, the novel also requires a huge does of disbelief to be accepted. The obvious first doubt raised is that no one questioning/noticed much sooner August, at age eight after her father was murdered, taking care of her mother and moving through the city. This includes the police officer who eventually contacted Helen. The second, which gave the novel a soap opera feeling, was the depiction of everyone seemingly recipients of great generational wealth.  Finally, the end felt rushed, like an information dump. 

One Beautiful Year of Normal  is a great choice for those who enjoy Southern domestic dramas, and enjoy ghost stories. Thanks to She Writes Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.