Vinegar Hill Book

To me, Oprah's Book Club seal of approval guarantees me at least a few of the following:

1) Female, middle-aged protagonist, typically a mother
2) Generally bleak and depressing
3) Emotional and/or physical abuse
4) Jackass husband
5) Horrible children
6) Death

Vinegar Hill offers 5 of the 6 - no horrible children. It's a very quick read - maybe not light enough fare for the beach but for the subway ride to and from work, it's perfect. A brief synopsis: Ellen + husband + their 2 kids are forced to move back into the house that her jackass husband grew up in and live together with his abusive and emotionally unavailable parents. Actually, everyone in this book is emotionally unavailable and also a little off their rocker so I bet you can imagine all the fun that will ensue. Oh yes. Reading this is akin to watching a train wreck - and who doesn't love a good train wreck? I couldn't turn away.