Inspired by the author’s own family history, 'Growing Up O’Malley' by Mary Frances Fisher is an ambitious family saga that follows the fortunes of the O’Malley family across several generations. Blending fiction with nonfiction, family memories, historical figures and embellished events, Fisher has created a novel that feels, in many respects, like sitting around the table with an extended family and listening as one story inevitably leads to another.

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At the heart of this novel are Michael and Mary O’Malley, whose lives and values provide the foundations upon which subsequent generations build their own. Their story, and those of their children, unfolds against an America undergoing enormous social and historical change. Immigration, poverty, war and technological advancement all find their way into the narrative, but through everything the O’Malleys remain steadfastly themselves. Faith, family and an extraordinary capacity to find humour even during difficult times bind them together.

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One of the great pleasures of this novel is the portrayal of family life. The O’Malleys are certainly not a quiet household. Their lives are filled with mishaps, romances, disagreements, marriages, children and more than a few schemes that go spectacularly awry. Some of the most enjoyable passages are also the simplest, for there is a wonderful appreciation for the stories that become family legends—the embarrassing incidents dragged out at gatherings that somehow become funnier with every retelling.

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There is a lovely warmth to these domestic scenes. The noise and chaos of a large family is captured particularly well, along with the teasing, squabbling and fierce loyalty between siblings. The humour feels wonderfully natural because it comes from the personalities of the characters and the situations they find themselves in. There were several moments that genuinely made me smile.

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The humour also provides an important counterbalance to the considerable hardship the family encounters. The historical period encompassed by the novel means that tragedy and uncertainty are never far away. Economic hardship and war bring fear and separation, while the passing years inevitably bring change and loss. Yet sorrow is never allowed to completely define the O’Malleys. They grieve, stumble and recover, usually supported by an army of relatives ready to provide food, advice, prayers or an appropriately timed joke.

The Second World War brings a noticeable change in tone. The warmth and familiarity of life at home is contrasted with the brutality and uncertainty experienced by those caught up in the conflict. These chapters contain some of the novel’s darkest moments and explore not only the physical dangers of war but also the psychological consequences for those who experience it. Equally compelling is the portrayal of those waiting at home. News is scarce, letters are precious and prolonged silence brings with it an almost unbearable uncertainty.

The historical scope of this novel is impressive. The narrative moves through decades of enormous change, allowing the reader to witness historical events through their impact upon one extended family. There is a strong sense of time and place throughout, and the changing world surrounding the O’Malleys is vividly portrayed.

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There were moments, however, when I felt the historical detail began to overshadow the characters and their stories. Occasionally, the narrative moves away from the family for quite lengthy explanations of historical events. Although interesting, some of these passages interrupted the flow of the story, and I found myself wanting to return to the characters. A little less historical exposition in these places would have allowed the experiences of the O’Malleys themselves to carry more of the history.

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Likewise, there are occasions when the emotional significance of a scene is explained after the characters have already conveyed it perfectly well through their actions or dialogue. Some of the novel’s most poignant moments are incredibly effective on their own, and allowing those moments to stand without further explanation would, I think, have made them even more powerful.

Nevertheless, there is an unmistakable affection for these characters, and as the novel progresses, the extensive O’Malley family becomes increasingly familiar. Children grow up and begin lives of their own, new generations arrive, and relationships inevitably alter as the years pass. Watching these characters grow and change gives the novel much of its emotional appeal.

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I particularly enjoyed the importance given to the seemingly ordinary things that become precious because of the memories attached to them. Houses, possessions, family traditions and familiar places gradually acquire their own significance. Family history, after all, is not preserved solely through momentous events. It survives through anecdotes, treasured belongings, jokes and stories told so often that younger generations can almost remember events they never witnessed. This is where 'Growing Up O’Malley' really shines. Beneath the historical events, romances, tragedies and comic escapades is a story about what one generation leaves behind for the next. The inheritance at the centre of this novel is not one measured by money or possessions, but by values, memories and a profound sense of belonging.

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The sheer scope of the story does mean the pacing occasionally suffers, and I felt some sections could have been tightened. However, there is tremendous heart behind this novel. These characters feel like people whose stories have been preserved because they mattered, and that gives the narrative a sincerity that is difficult to manufacture.

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Warm, nostalgic, frequently amusing and, at times, deeply moving, 'Growing Up O’Malley' is a heartfelt multigenerational saga about family, faith, love and the stories that survive long after those who first lived them are gone.