The Favourite 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

By Fran Littlewood.

Fran Littlewood delivers a beautifully layered and deeply engaging family drama in The Favourite.

The story centres on the Fisher family as they gather to celebrate Vivienne’s 70th birthday at a stunning glass house in the English countryside. Alex, Nancy, and Eva, her three grown daughters, appear to have it all—successful careers, loving families, and exciting lives. But when their father, Patrick, accidentally reveals during a freak incident that he has a favourite daughter, it sets off an emotional chain reaction that no one is prepared for.

What follows is a week filled with tension, humour, and heartache as long-buried sibling rivalries resurface and personal insecurities are brought to light. The sisters, along with their parents and the extended family, are forced to confront their individual and shared histories. Littlewood cleverly explores the themes of memory, sisterhood, and how the stories we tell ourselves about the past can shape our identities.

What makes The Favourite so compelling is its blend of sharp observation, tender moments, and laugh-out-loud humour. The Fisher sisters are wonderfully flawed and relatable, each grappling with their version of the truth. The differing memories of shared family events feel especially authentic, capturing the complexity of familial relationships.

This book isn’t just about sibling rivalries or family drama—it’s a heartfelt exploration of love in all its messy, imperfect forms. The dynamics between the sisters, as well as their interactions with their parents, feel real and raw yet full of warmth. It’s a story about the little cracks in relationships that can sometimes grow into gaping holes and the hope that, even after years of misunderstandings, bonds can be rebuilt.

With its vivid characterisation, emotional depth, and moments of sharp humour, The Favourite is a brilliant choice for anyone who enjoys reflective, relationship-driven stories.

Thank you so much to the author - Fran Littlewood, as well as Annie at Penguin Michael Joseph, for sending me an ARC of this brilliant book!

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