A Good American - Alex George

I was intrigued by the review comment on the cover that mentioned "echoes of John Irving", and this did indeed contain much that fit that description, being a family saga with a large cast of characters who are often bloody-minded and eccentric, but generally extremely likeable, in which chance encounters and implausible but humorous episodes often have dramatic repercussions. I enjoyed this novel immensely on its own terms, however, and actually found myself preferring the more soberly written sections to the occasionally farcical comedic ones. In particular, the bittersweet love story of the narrator's grandparents was touching, and the discoveries that the narrator makes towards the end of the story were powerfully described and thought-provoking.