The Sugar Bowl Feud by Gina N. Brown

Definition: Family Tree
Noun: singular
Like the living plant for which it’s named, a Family Tree has deep, tenacious roots and ever-growing branches- both supportive and non-supportive- which bear a wide variety of fruits and nuts. – Gina N. Brown, The Sugar Bowl Feud
Four siblings inherit their Mom’s house full of stuff. And they all want the same item. What could possibly go wrong?
When Courtney claims a long-forgotten sugar bowl as a memento of her late mother, suddenly the law of siblings kicks in. Twins Brando and Brandi and sister Mona want the bowl too—and they’ll do what it takes to have it or go down in flames trying.

Set in small-town Nova Scotia, The Sugar Bowl Feud explores the many facets of grief and how four very different siblings deal with and cope with the pain of overwhelming loss. Told in alternating chapters, from each of the sibling’s points of view, we are introduced to each sibling along with their quirks, opinions, and personalities.

Courtney is the oldest and the executor of the will. She is highly organized, with long to-do lists as she deals with the estate. We note that she is also a perfectionist and has low opinions of her siblings. They do not meet her high standards and she refers to them in mostly unflattering terms. The twins are two years younger, Brando and Brandi, and Courtney refers to them as the Brandies. Brando is the only male and is described as stubborn and domineering. Brandi is the peacemaker who avoids confrontation by just agreeing with her brother. The three grew up in a trailer park, dirt poor, with their single mom. Their father went to pick up some baby food and never returned. Their half-sister, Mona, had a more secure life, born a decade later after their mother had remarried. Courtney and the twins describe her as “failure to launch, entitled, peace-loving, anti-capitalist, jobless, spoiled, and pampered”. Their mom, Babs, died of cancer. She was a bit of a hoarder with a house and garage full of estate finds, some worthless, but some that might be worth something, including what the family believed to be a Maud Lewis original. Another personality that appears in the story is their mother’s lifetime friend and house cleaner, Doris.

As it says on the back of the book, The Sugar Bowl Feud is “told with compassion, frankness and humor,…(it) explores the overwhelming grip of grief through the eyes of each sibling as they do their best to cope.”

The Sugar Bowl Feud is a story that will stick with you long after you finish it. It will raise questions about your own life and cause you to think about family, estates, and being prepared. You might even have the urge to downsize your estate, make sure your will is in order, and make your last wishes known to your family. Brown did a wonderful job balancing sensitive issues with humour to deliver an entertaining story.

Nobody can tell you how hard grief is, how to respond to it, or how long it will last. Sometimes it feels like a lingering houseguest who won’t reveal their departure date. – Gina N. Brown, The Sugar Bowl Feud

Gina N. Brown has written two novels, The Sugar Bowl Feud (2024) and Lucy McGee’s Moment of Truth (2021). In addition, she has written freelance articles for newspapers, magazines, and on digital platforms.
After a lengthy marketing career working in music, film, advertising, special events, and museums, she founded NovaHeart Media in 2019, an independent publishing platform. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she loves to swim, skate, canoe, and cycle.

Publisher: NovaHeart Media (April 18, 2024)
Paperback 5″ x 8″ | 341 pages
ISBN: 9781999574147

Sue Slade

Sue Slade has a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax. After working with children and adults with special needs, she now has her midlife dream job of working with books. Sue manages an independent, locally owned bookstore, Dartmouth Book Exchange. Through her charismatic sharing centred around books and community, Sue has created an engaging cornerstone for authors, customers, and book lovers of all ages. Sue is an avid reader and her reviews cross over many genres.