Misplaced Persons is a terrific contemporary novel that starts off as a domestic novel about an acrimonious divorce between Neil and Marcy but soon becomes more complex and poignant. Marcy is a non-conformist, empathetic, tolerant person who reacts to the refugee crisis by inviting Nizar an 18 year old Syrian into their home. Neil has left Marcy for the younger work colleague Chloe leaving Marcy with the three children and money problems. The family is a melting pot with Neil from England and Marcy from America living in Brussels with their Belgium born children. Two of the children Jake (the youngest) and Sasha accept Nizar into their home whilst Alec (the eldest) is more suspicious and less trusting of him. In the background the horrors of terrorist attacks take place while family bonds are stretched. All the characters are fully developed in this carefully paced novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel which I found rich and complex with a satisfying conclusion.

This book is a timely reminder of how one selfish act can impact on a family. The story is set in Belgium with the potential of terrorism in the forefront of everyone’s mind . The book describes the life of Marcy and Neil and their three children, we see the ups and downs of family life and how life changes when Neil leaves the family home. I enjoyed the characters they are pleasant and genuine in their nature. The fractured family life takes its toll on all members of the family but the story is mostly from the perspective of Marcy , Neil and Alec. The writing is free flowing and easy to read and digest . An intuitive story and an enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for this arc copy.

Misplaced Persons is a wonderfully rich and complex tale about family, about betrayal, about feeling lost and misunderstood. Neil and Marcy have split up after twenty five years together. For Marcy, being alone makes her see how shallow and meaningless all the material goods they have accumulated are, and she culls ruthlessly, donating bags and bags to a nearby refugee centre. Helping out at the centre leads to her offering Nizar, a young refugee, a place to stay, much to her ex-husband's horror. Meanwhile Neil is realising that he has made a huge mistake, one that is having an impact on their three children, sixteen year old Alec in particular. Set in Brussels against the backdrop of a series of terrorist attacks, this is a timely and interesting read, as we start to consider events from more than one point of view. There is tragedy in this novel, but also optimism and a wonderfully uplifting conclusion.

This story centres around the Yardley family who live in Brussels. British born Neil is having an affair with a work colleague and is separated from wife Marcy who teaches English, her career stalled by motherhood. She becomes concerned about the displaced people, especially from Syria, making the dangerous journey to Europe. Daughter Sasha is immersed in studies, sons Alec is brimming with teenage anger while young Jake builds with Lego. Into this family in crisis, Marcy brings home Syrian refugee Nizar which sets off a chain reaction. The story is told by Neil, Marcy and Alec. I like the premise of the book with the exploration of the dynamics of imploding family relations with the background of critical political events 2015/16. The terror incident in the Bataclan Theatre in November 2015 and later terrorist incidents in Brussels in 2016 are portrayed well, showing the dangers and suspicion of the time. Tensions between Marcy and Neil are conveyed clearly as is the impact of Nizar’s appearance on the children which Alec especially finds hard. Some of the better sections concern Alec, his inertia with his studies and his subsequent actions make for thought provoking reading. However, there’s nothing very different or earth shattering here so it doesn’t really pull you in throughout. The writing feels very impersonal and flat in places, some detail is mundane and dull as they are day to day. Neil in midlife crisis is a bit of a cliche, an angry teenager and a wife mulling missed career opportunities is nothing unusual and so doesn’t fully grab you. The characters feel a bit one dimensional with the exception of Marcy’s mother Joanna who is only in the book fleetingly but she does liven things up! The pace is stop, start - something happens that piques your interest and the next point of view interrupts that flow and so it stalls again. The Nizar angle could have gone a lot further and as a personality he is a closed shop but that may be intentional due to his life experiences. Overall, this book has lots of promise, it’s an ambitious idea which doesn’t quite come off.

This is a story of a fractured family life. Neil, an Englishman, married to American Marcy and their three children live in Brussels. Add to the mix Nizar, a Syrian refugee ,Chloe a work colleague of Neil's and the backdrop of topical terrorism in Brussels and the scene is set. It was a slow story but I felt it was entertaining and easy to read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an arc of this book.