Joanna Trollope’s “The Other Family” is an interesting story about a man with two families. The story opens with the death of Richie Rossiter, an English singer/pianist. In his prime he had a very big following, especially with older audiences. We get to know about Richie through the women in his life. It seems that when Richie was in his mid-forties, he left his wife and teenage son for a younger woman. Although there is nothing new about this kind of story, Trollope’s observations are an honest look at an age-old tale.
Basically, we learn how these women cope with their loss. Richie’s first wife, Margaret, lives in northern England in the area near Newcastle on Tyne. She and Richie never divorced, and Richie doesn’t seem to have had much contact with his son Scott. She has made a career for herself as an agent for musicians and is very independent. Even though she and Richie haven’t had any contact for more than twenty years, his death causes her to reevaluate her life. Chrissie, the younger woman, and Richie never married, although they had three children together. These girls adored their father; the youngest one never even knew that her parents weren’t married. This family lives in London. The settings are an important element, probably more meaningful to English readers who know these areas better.
The characters of Margaret and Chrissie hold the story together. Truthfully, Richie’s children come across as either dull or plain selfish. Eventually, of course, both women find more meaning in their lives. Although this isn’t great literature, the story does move along, and I became interested in what these women were going to do to get beyond this life changing event in their lives.