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Seven Days of Us

The hilarious and moving Radio 2 Book Club pick

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Seven Days of Us

By: Francesca Hornak
Narrated by: Jilly Bond
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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The funny, sharply observed and life-affirming Radio 2 Book Club pick.
'Hilarious and touching' DAILY MAIL

'Warm, humane, funny and sad . . . Absolute pleasure reading' MARIAN KEYES

'Keenly observed and utterly believeable' PANDORA SYKES

'Hilariously funny' ROSAMUND LUPTON
__________________________________________

It's the holidays, and the Birch family is gathering for the first time in years.

Olivia, the eldest daughter, has returned from treating an epidemic abroad and must go into quarantine for seven days. Her mother has decided it's the perfect opportunity to spend some 'special time' together. Her youngest sister wholeheartedly disagrees. Her father isn't allowed an opinion.

When no one can leave the house and no one can enter, quaratine for the Birches feels like an eternity.

Especially when they're all harbouring secrets. One of which is about to come knocking at their door...
__________________________________________

'Absorbing, insightful and immensely enjoyable' LAURA BARNETT

'One of the best family dramas you'll ever read' BEST

'I LOVED [it] . . . has all the makings of your classic rom-com, with characters that are both remarkable yet wonderfully relatable' THE UNMUMSY MUM

'Sharply observed by Hornak's satirical eye' GLAMOUR

'One of the best books of the year' HELLO!

'Expertly captures the joys and the tensions of spending any time with those who know you best. It thoroughly deserves to be this year's big Christmas hit' THE I©2017 Francesca Hornak Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Holidays Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt Winter Christmas
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Critic reviews

One of the best books of the year
LOVED it! Warm and humane, funny and sad, with a great, twisty plot, Seven Days of Us is absolute pleasure reading from beginning to end. Francesca Hornak is a true talent. Just gorgeous! (Marian Keyes)
Keenly observed and utterly believable (Pandora Sykes)
I loved this comic drama . . . the plot is genius . . . and the results are hilarious and touching
Read it if you like Marian Keyes' Rachel's Holiday... it's one of the best family dramas you'll ever read
Sharply observed by Hornak's satirical eye, this has 'Working Title film deal' written all over it
Seven Days of Us expertly captures the joys and the tensions of spending any time with those who know you best. It thoroughly deserves to be this year's big Christmas hit
Absorbing, insightful and immensely enjoyable
Compassionate, witty and wise
Touching, funny, emotionally intelligent, Seven Days of Us is pure pleasure from beginning to end. It's stylishly written and totally engrossing. I really, really loved it
It's a cliché to say this book is a rollercoaster but the sun came up and the sun went down, people cried for help, and the bath overflowed, and I couldn't move, captivated by this extraordinary page-turner. The plot is compulsive and doesn't let up till the very last chapter. It has more twists and turns than Hampton Court Maze and yet Francesca Hornak guides one through it all with a confident hand until one puts it down, exhausted but exhilarated by such a rollicking good read. Terrific
An engrossing and funny study of a middle-class British family in crisis. I loved it!
Witty and deeply heartfelt
Hornak's first novel is a farcical gem, perfect for fans of Matthew Norman and Emma Straub. Alternately tender and razor-sharp, Seven Days of Us will resonate with anyone who regresses the minute they step inside their childhood home
A superb drama - smart and touching
An emotional but ultimately uplifting holiday story
A humorous and heartwarming page-turner
This book is heartwarming and gloriously funny, anyone who spends the Christmas period with their family will be able to relate hugely to this novel. Thank god it's happening to the characters and not to you!
If you are struggling with self-isolation in the family home, then this is the novel for you (Abbie Greaves, author of The Silent Treatment)
With its wry observations on class, family, and veddy-British traditions, Francesca Hornak's absorbing debut sparkles with glints of Nancy Mitford and Julian Fellowes
All stars
Most relevant
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. I had a slow start with it and had to go back to it to properly enjoy it but it was well worth it!

Such a brilliant story.

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Excellent narration, and I enjoyed this steadily building novel until the end. When I didn't. But if you can cope with a bit of tragedy at Christmas, listen to the book!

Christmas Novels Should NOT Have Tragic Endings!

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I found the book moving on many levels, particularly as I volunteer in Africa myself. Some of the story was A BIT contrived......surely as a doctor Olivia must have known she was pregnant for instance. I'm passing it on to friends.

so relevant to today and CV19

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I am reading this book for my book club. Its been a lovely mix of characters, family challenges, realisations and good old fashioned story telling.

thoughtful fun with a lovely mix of characters

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An entertaining Christmas read. Particularly stirring for Christmas 2020 with quarantine and being maybe just a bit too close to family.
Would recommend for a warm cosy easy read

Entertaining

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