Synopsis
THESE TWO STRANGERS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON . . . THEIR FATHER.
Discover the darkly funny and heartfelt debut novel where two estranged sisters are unknowingly thrown together by their father's dying wish. Perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors and Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss.
'Hilarious, heartbreaking and utterly original' Daily Mail
'Funny, sweet and profoundly compassionate' Marian Keyes, bestselling author of My Favourite Mistake
'A refreshingly real exploration of family, addiction and love. This should be your next read' Dua Lipa's Service95
After he left them for his new family, Mickey resolved never to think of her father again.
She's fine without him; yes, she drinks, but only sometimes and, really, she can’t not.
But with only $181 to her name, she’s not above attending some mandated therapy to access her inheritance. She’ll kneel at the Kleenex alter and soon be bingeing Bridgerton with a bottle of Russian Standard, five million dollars richer.
Arlo has more issues than most of her clients.
Being a therapist has not prepared her for grief. She adored her father – his laughter, his charm, the smell of his cologne. She thought he adored her, too, but now he’s given his inheritance to a daughter no one knows, and Arlo is at a loss.
Two sisters are unknowingly thrown together for the first time.
It’s crazy, it's unethical. It's perfect.
Praise for Favourite Daughter
'So stunningly fresh and darkly funny' Catherine Newman, bestselling author of Sandwich
'Rich, complex and astute' Rebecca K Reilly, award-winning author of Greta & Valdin 'I absolutely loved this!' Prima, Book of the Month
'Darkly funny and irreverent'Elle 'A refreshing family drama' The Sun
'Fans of Coco Mellors will enjoy this chaotically funny novel' Red
'A vast and ambitious novel . . . that will take your breath away' Kirsty Capes, Women's Prize longlisted author of Girls
'Brilliant . . . Darkly funny, gently devastating and deftly written. This will be massive' Lauren Bravo, author of Probably Nothing
Publisher information
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9780241740248
- Number of pages: 352
- Dimensions: 224 x 143 x 30 mm
- Weight: 461g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View all
Hilarious and tragic
This is a hilarious and tragic read about the legacy a dead alcoholic leaves behind.
Mickey's dad left her when she was little so she's shocked when he le... READ MORE
Unexpected
Don’t be fooled by the cover! Two women struggle with their mental health; one with an alcohol addiction, the other obsessed with her career as a psycho th... READ MORE
***
Favourite Daughter was a genre I don't normally go for but intrigued by the synopsis.
Mickey's father left when she was young, Arlo grew up with her fa... READ MORE
Good read
Mickey's father deserted her and her mum many years ago leaving them destitute and in debt. He moved on,got married ,had a daughter,Arlo and made a fortune... READ MORE
Family
A lesson in how a parent can mess up a child’s life by guiding them to meet that parent’s own ends. A story that deals with compassion and understanding o... READ MORE
Entertaining and interesting read
4/5
Despite the cover I really enjoyed this book, which I thought was going to be a lot more lighthearted than it was.
Mickey Morris is a kindergarte... READ MORE
Absorbing but hard to read
I could not decide what I thought of this book - I found it absorbing but was not sure that I enjoyed it.
Two sisters are manipulated by their alcoholic... READ MORE
Fantastic read!
I was hooked on this book right from the start! I keep finding it hard to get into new books, but loved this one right from the first page. Seen a few comm... READ MORE
Original and involving.
An involving story of messy family relationships. This got better and better as it went along and I felt more and more invested in the characters as it wen... READ MORE
A great read
This was a clever story of family, of grief and loss and of ultimately recovery. I liked the dual perspectives and the gradual unravelling to a realisation... READ MORE
a well-crafted novel, but not for me!
So... I think this was a well-crafted, well-written book, so like in terms of the book's merit, it would probably get a 4-star and I can see why people wou... READ MORE
One for the lit fic lovers
This was such an interesting concept and the execution was so good! I loved that the characters in this book were complex and we got to see things from bot... READ MORE
A Tough Read
This is a story about loss and grief and it's also about relationships .Micky and Arlo are sisters but have never met each other or known about each other ... READ MORE
Dark and humourous debut
An emotional and disturbing family drama. Michelle ‘Mickey’ Morris is a kindergarten teacher. She is also an alcoholic and is in financial difficulties. ... READ MORE
A morally and ethically grey drama
Favourite Daughter sees half-sisters Mickey and Arlo brought together as a condition of their late father’s will. When Mickey unknowingly attends therapy s... READ MORE
A compelling debut novel;
Morgan Dick’s novel about two sisters who discover each other after the death of their alcoholic father is a compelling story packed with interesting chara... READ MORE
Gritty family drama
If you like gritty realistic 'warts and all' family drama then this will be for you but I didn't really like it.
Mickey's father left when she was young ... READ MORE
tender
Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick is a novel about grief, sisterhood, and the tangled mess of family—both the kind you choose and the kind you don’t.
Mi... READ MORE
Emotional Story
Loved this story of Mickey and Arlo who have the same dad but have never met until their dad died and left everything to Mickey as long as she attended sev... READ MORE
An involving read
Such a sad story on the face of it, but the interwoven stories of the two daughters from different wives of a controlling alcoholic father is an involving... READ MORE
Thought provoking
An interesting book tackling subjects such alcoholism, death, depression and mental illness in a tender way with at times dark humour. Perhaps for me sligh... READ MORE
Original
I really don’t like the cover; the colours, graphics and whole appearance I find offputting. Which, of course, confirms the ‘don’t judge a book’ adage. T... READ MORE
Quality writing
I often find that when an author bases a novel on an issue (in this case, alcoholism), the plot and characters feel manipulated to fit in with the theme an... READ MORE
Had me hooked, mouth dry and heart pounding from the get-go.
Oh, my days. This is such a good book - it had me hooked, mouth dry and heart pounding from the get-go.
Not gonna lie, I've had a bit of a dry patch wit... READ MORE
THE read for girls with daddy issues (me)
4/5 ⭐️
A heartbreaking yet tender exploration of grief, codependency, addiction and trauma.
Heavy but so full of hope.
Both sisters are extremely frustr... READ MORE
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Favourite Daughter @morgandick_author
A family in crisis
I really enjoyed this book told from the points of view of two half sisters whose alcoholic father has brought them together after he died by disinheriting... READ MORE
Devilish humour, scouring insights
Definitely 5* for this one –devilish humour, with scouring insight and tremendous characters and a witty, literary exploration of Philip Larkin’s observati... READ MORE
A refreshingly different family saga
Thanks to Viking UK for an advance e-copy of this title!
‘Favourite Daughter’ is a fun yet thought-provoking debut that I found very readable. Although ... READ MORE
Well Written
A story of 2 dysfunctional half sisters from a toxic family background, dealing with death, grief, mental illness, addiction and abandonment. I found the... READ MORE
Emotion packed
What if your inheritance came with a side of mandated therapy… led by your half-sister… who doesn’t know you exist? That’s the deliciously dysfunctional pr... READ MORE
Immersive and thought provoking
An immersive & thought provoking read that's raw & messy and I loved every page!
This was such a gripping story, something drew me to this straight away... READ MORE
This is phenomenal - I read it all in less than a day
This is phenomenal - I read it all in less than a day
Favourite Daughter is a dual-POV novel that follows Mickey and Arlo, half-sisters who have never m... READ MORE
Complex and chaotic family dynamics with many thought-provoking themes
Half sisters Mickey and Arlo share the same father however have never met. Their father, an alcoholic, walked away from Mickey and her mother when Mickey w... READ MORE
Enjoyable
Favourite Daughter explored complex grief from the perspectives of two half sisters who do not know each other at the start of the novel and who have had v... READ MORE
A thought-provoking debut that I highly recommend. 5 Stars!
Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick is a captivating novel that I found utterly gripping from start to finish. It felt like I was watching real life unfold i... READ MORE
Family drama
Favourite Daughter follows sisters Mickey and Arlo, brought together after their father’s death. He leaves his fortune to Mickey, but only if she attends t... READ MORE
Favourite daughter
I enjoyed this from the complexity of characters and relationships to the darker themes of death, addiction, friendship and values. Well worth a read.
Grief and addiction
A really clever premise but I struggled to enjoy this one. The characters, particularly Mickey, were so unlikeable that I found it hard to care about them.... READ MORE
Favourite daughter
I enjoyed this from the complexity of characters and relationships to the darker themes of death, addiction, friendship and values. Well worth a read.
Good read
Although I really enjoyed this book, I also found it a little unsettling. Mickey is a functioning alcoholic and teacher who gets into trouble for returning... READ MORE
Family Drama
Mickey and Arlo are half-sisters. But they've never spoken and never met/ Arlo adored her father - but always lived in the shadow of his magnetic personal... READ MORE
Fantastic!
Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick
Mickey and Arlo are half sisters from their dad's two marriages. When their dad dies, he leaves his fortune to Mickey... READ MORE
Favourite daughter
enjoyed this from the complexity of characters and relationships to the darker themes of death, addiction, friendship and values. Well worth a read.
2 sisters, but who is the favourite?
Mickey is broke and when her estranged father leaves her a fortune, she has no option but to undertake the therapy he insisted on before obtaining the mone... READ MORE
Well worth reading
I have to admit I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. At it's core is a story of the trauma of loss, grief and addiction which could be really h... READ MORE
Really well written
4+
Kindergarten teacher, Mickey reads of her father‘s death via an obituary with indifference. She’s 33, has few vices if you don’t count the vodka and... READ MORE
Great read, great, believable characters
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
This is a great read and I enjoyed it. Mickey and Arlo are both sympathetic char... READ MORE
Four stars!
Morgan Dick’s debut book, Favourite Daughter, is a darkly funny and compelling tale of estranged half-sisters Mickey and Arlo, whose lives collide due to t... READ MORE
Is being the favourite daughter a blessing or a curse?
A novel full is misunderstanding. Mickey has lost her father twice - once when he ran out on her and her mother when she was seven years old, and then more... READ MORE
Fascinating new twist on sibling rivalry
Two half-sisters who have never met find themselves in a very strange position following the death of their father. Charlotte and Michelle have had very di... READ MORE
Tale of complex family dynamics, perceptive, thought provoking and sometimes humorous
Half sisters Mickey and Arlo share the same father however have never met. Their father, an alcoholic, walked away from Mickey and her mother when Mickey w... READ MORE
How did they not figure it out sooner?
Mickey’s estranged father has died and left her a large legacy on the condition that she receives therapy. The therapist is Arlo whose rich father has als... READ MORE