Estate

Settling a large family estate takes an enormous toll on its unfortunate executor in this novel by Shelley.

Tim Watts, the eldest son in the melodramatic Watts family, has been named executor of his late mother Holly’s estate. Holly Suter Hampton was a grande dame, a drama queen, and a manipulator (not to mention a hoarder), forever guilting her sons in a passive aggressive way. Those sons are Tim, Matt, and Ethan. Tim is a rock and a peacemaker. Matt found the love of his life in his husband, Isaac. Embittered Ethan has always felt himself an outsider in the family, and he lets everyone know. (Jeff, the youngest, was everyone’s favorite and died a hero, saving a co-worker from falling.) We follow the beleaguered Tim as he deals with mountains of paperwork related to the estate and all that comes with it, all while tolerating his insensitive boss and his annoying brothers ("What is the proper etiquette for poking your brother in the eye?" he asks at one point.) In what almost feels like a coda, we learn more about why Ethan became devoutly religious, and there are hints of genuine tragedies in his life: We finally see him as more than just a world-class kvetch. Shelley proves himself to be an exceptional novelist, creating believable characters—especially Tim and his sour younger brother, Matt. And he really makes us feel the draining slog of dealing with all the legal documents (and the interminable waiting on “hold”), the drudgery of cleaning out an overstuffed old house, and making painful decisions about mountains of stuff. (Collections that Holly—and the family—assumed to be priceless are now worth pennies on the dollar.) We cheer at the end when Tim tells off his tyrannical boss, and we get a satisfying counterpoint when Tim’s father-in-law dies, having meticulously arranged his affairs to make it as easy as possible for his daughter to settle his estate.

A convincing and oddly enjoyable novel about an unenviable and convoluted legal process.