I return to Anne Lamott’s books like I do my favorite chair or restaurant. I know what to expect, I am immediately comfortable, and best of all, I savor every moment. Lamott is the queen of family dysfunction, especially the family that deals with addictions and recovery. This is her territory—she knows all sides of the situation, from the recovering parent to the addicted teen. What she does that sets her apart is capture the sheer nuttiness of the family dynamic with humor, honesty and openness.

Her latest installment Imperfect Birds picks up where Crooked Little Heart left off. Seventeen-year-old Rosie is now entering her senior year of high school; she’s kept her perfect school record intact, but now is pushing at the edges of her parent’s control while declaring her absolute need to move out and get on with her life. She actually loves her parents, but can’t stand their obsession with HER life. Elizabeth, who is mostly sober (with a few relapses), is so overly connected to her daughter that she’s blinded to the signs that Rosie is actually covering up a huge lie and headed for big trouble. My favorite character in this book is James, Rosie’s stepfather, who manages to love these two at-times-hard-to-love women, and to anchor this family—he brings out the best in Rosie and Elizabeth without ever sliding down the slippery slope of denial.

Lamott is adept at both nonfiction—Operating Instructions (the firsthand account of her son’s first year of life) and Bird by Bird (a writer’s book on writing)—and fiction, this being her seventh novel. If you’re a Lamott fan, you might prefer her nonfiction; many people do. Personally, I enjoy the saga of the Ferguson family. I love the northern California setting (it’s where I grew up) and I especially appreciate her keen eye and gift for making me see the humor and universal experience of a messed up and crazy family. In the end, we’re all imperfect birds. ~Wendee