In THE DAUGHTERS: A Novel, Ben Rogers has masterfully integrated the complexities of parent-child relationships into routine and micro-behaviors. His detailed descriptions of everyday rituals provide the reader with an intimate glimpse into his characters’ emotions: Nancy’s grief is evident in her obsessive beach combing, Charlotte’s angst is easily felt in her ritualistic swimming laps, and Eric’s loneliness is conveyed through his need to connect with strangers via radio. A retired but successful writer, Peter Zemeckis narrates the life events of his neighbor Eric’s family. He finds himself deeply invested in Eric’s ex-wife Nancy and their daughter Charlotte’s dysfunctional dynamics. Eric’s girlfriend Amy, a former barrel racer, dreams of becoming a mother. After Nancy and Eric’s divorce, their daughter Charlotte finds it hard to accept Amy as a maternal figure. When Charlotte and Nancy reunite, they find themselves completely estranged from each other. Zemeckis tries to help them navigate this difficult period of their lives.

Rogers skillfully explores grief, dysfunctional family dynamics, and their impact on human behavior. In THE DAUGHTERS, the audience experiences different aspects of each character’s upbringing and the path they choose in life. Through Amy we see control turn a high-achieving athlete into both a warm, docile mother and a chef. Through workaholic Nancy and her immigrant father Jerry, we see success drive a woman away from her loving family. Through Charlotte, we not only see the trauma of a broken home manifest itself into malice, but we also see grief turn into maladaptive behaviors and hollow coping mechanisms. Despite being loved, Charlotte feels so unloved that she tries her best to not let anyone love her.

With refreshingly simple prose, Rogers’s craft shines brightly in his ability to make emotion come alive through action. This is clearly apparent in the description of Charlotte’s resentment towards Amy when she first visits her Texan home: “As Charlotte’s view of the room contracted, her interest in it inverted. She got the urge to force herself back in, to swing a bat at the rocking-horse light fixture.” Here, the author relies on simple prose and actions (rather than poetic embellishment) to convey emotion. This shows a mature restraint in craft, prioritizing connection over the urge to impress readers with technique.

The only weakness the book suffers from is the narrator, as Peter's relationship with Nancy and her daughter feels slightly abrupt. Nevertheless, THE DAUGHTERS proves a very refreshing and captivating exploration of parent-child relationships.

By carefully weaving emotion into ritual, Ben Rogers shows exceptional command of his skill in THE DAUGHTERS: A Novel. Its complex, layered, and messy characters feel immediately intimate and real.

~ Maria for IndieReader