Family Time

[LitEditor]

Roberts is well-known for writing family sagas -- many of them spanning trilogies or series -- and The Donovans, the MacGregors, the Stanislaskis and the O’Hurleys have all become beloved clans to her fans. Which family is your favorite, and why? Which one is the most like your own family?

[Jo6353]

My favorite family is the Quinn's. Probably because I have 3 sons with very similar personalities.

[Seckley]

I would have to say my favorit family is the MacGregors. I love the way the stories flow from one generation to another and how the family takes on the siblings of whomever is involved and makes them part of the family as well, just like a real family would (or at least you hope would).

[AnaRodrigues]

I love The Donovans

[rgelinas]

I like the Gallaghers from Ardmore.

[becke_davis]

Hi Clare - I'm crossing over for a visit from the gardening board I'm moderating. I use to scorn this type of book, but a friend who is a Nora Roberts addict persuaded me to try some of her books and now I can add her to my book addictions (don't even get me started on my mystery author addictions, I don't have room for any more bookcases in this house!).

I couldn't get into the Robb titles, but I was surprised to find I got a kick out of the Donovan saga, which requires a suspension of disbelief. Or maybe it's because, like so many of us, I have roots from that part of the world. Nora Roberts must have an incredible imagination! After reading these and liking them, I read her Three Sisters Island trilogy and liked those a lot, too. I haven't read any of her other trilogies.

I do like the Stanislaski books. I come from Chicago where there is a big Polish and Ukranian community, so this family rang some bells. I also come from a large, exceedingly noisy family and we all are extremely different, so there was a sense of familiarity, too.

I like these books because they are the ultimate escapism, particularly the "magical" ones. Plus, I've been married 35 years and there's always room for more romance!

[Nekosheba]

I like Roberts' stories and like the aspect of getting to know the families in a series or a trilogy. However, I find that Roberts sometimes has trouble finding ways to make each character's story unique. For example, in "Valley of Sillence" you pretty much know what is going to happen- i.e. who's going to hook up and what conflicts they will face. I find that with Roberts' books, it is either hit or miss. Sometimes you get a great plot, as with "Blue Smoke", the Stanislaskis or the Quinns. Other times the plot is very pedestrian, such as with "the Reef", "Birthright" and the Key Trilogy. I will read her books at least once, but there is a definite difference between the stories that are so-so and the ones that will be reread many times and passed on to others. ~Neko

[becke_davis]

I have to agree. I don't especially like the very short books, like the Christmas ones. I really liked the Three Sisters Island series, and the Donovans. Next to those, I liked the Mackades, O'Hurley's and other sagas of big families. I am the oldest of five kids and I have always enjoyed the chaos when we all get together. Those books make me think of good times.

[clarepayton]

Hi Becke,
Sure, come on over! The more the merrier.

Everyone, I am intrigued by Becke's enjoyment of the Roberts books that focus on large families, such as the Stanislaski books. Are there other sagas that also pick up on the large family idea? Which ones are they?

What is about these books that depicts life in a large family so well? Is it the chaos, which Becke describes? Or, is there something more?

[becke_davis]

Since this book club started I've started to read more of Nora Roberts books. I wasn't that big a fan before but now I'm enjoying her books. Other family sagas of hers I've discovered include the O'Hurley triplets and the McKades (four brothers), and of course the Donovans. The Stanlislaskis partly connected with me because of the large family and partly because I have met a lot of Ukrainians and Polish families over the years, and they remind me of those families, too.

[Nabikigirl]

For me the MacGregors hold a very special place in my heart, because the first Nora Roberts book that I held was the MacGregor Brides! I fell in love with old Daniel and I've enjoyed his interference since. My favorite trilogy has a tie. It's between the Key trilogy and her last one. I went totally nuts with them.