That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo

I finished this book a week ago and I still can't decide whether or not I liked it. As the readers of this blog know, I am big into whether or not I can relate and/or root for a character. Split into two parts and filled with flashbacks, Richard Russo creates characters that are memorable; likable I'm not so sure. Jack Griffin returns to the Cape for a wedding. His father's ashes are in the trunk and his mother (long divorced from his father) constantly on his cell phone. The Cape is a place they vacationed as a family, memories plentiful. But his parents were bitter academics and Jack discovers maybe he's more like them than he would like. Over the course of that first weekend he explores his relationships not only with his parents but his wife and daughter, too. Fast forward one year, his daughter is getting married in Maine and life is far more complicated than it should be. There are laugh out loud scenes and Russo gives you plenty to think about.