At Home with the Templetons: A Novel

US: Ballantine Books, 2011. Paperback. Very Good. When the Templeton family takes up residence in an imposing and long-empty manor in the countryside of Victoria, Australia, the locals begin to buzz w ith gossip. The seven Templetons moved from England and seem unusual, pecul iar even--especially when they begin to lead tours through the stately home while dressed in period costume. No one is more intrigued by the family th an their neighbors, single mother Nina Donovan and her son, Tom. Though the y try to keep their distance from the often shocking Templeton dramas, Nina and Tom find their lives unexpectedly entwined with this enigmatic family, much to the delight of Gracie, the youngest Templeton daughter. Then one d ay, a tragedy tears them all apart. In the grand estate, the stage is set f or years of betrayal and heartbreak, love and affection, to be revealed--an d, perhaps, resolved--as the Templetons try to make amends. At Home with the Templetons is Monica McInerney's best book yet--a captivat ing and moving story that spans two decades, illuminating the perils and pl easures of love, friendship, and family. BONUS: This edition contains excerpts from Monica McInerney's Lola's Secret, The Faraday Girls, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters, Greetings from Somewhere Else, and Upside Down Inside Out.