The Descendents - Kaui Hart Hemmings

http://www.kauiharthemmings.com/ - This book was written by a Stegner Fellow living in San Francisco, who I went to elementary school with back in Hawaii. Set on Oahu - with a side trip to Kauai, The Descendants tells the story of a wealthy descendant of missionaries (Matt King), who has two out of control daughters, and a wife lying in a coma after a boating accident. As King wraps up his wife's affairs by informing her relatives and close friends of her condition, he discovers one secret affair that he must figure out how best to confront. I feel like I've been on a string of so-so books, and it was making me think I needed to take a break from reading. But, I raced through this one and really enjoyed it, which made me a happy reader again. The main father character was frustrating at times in his cluelessness about who his wife and daughters really were, and sometimes I felt like the dialogue was trying too hard to be "hip" or "real". But, I loved the character of Sid, King's oldest daughter's maybe-boyfriend, who while a little lost himself brings some perspective to the rest of the characters. I recommend this for a good book about the awkwardness and frustrations of family.