Family and Relationships

The novel explores the theme of family and relationships. In its entirety, The House We Grew Up In is about one family. It doesn’t veer from this focus. When characters outside of the family are introduced, they are included as an extension of one of the family members. The Bird Family is first introduced to the reader by Lorelei. She shapes and filters the reader’s view of the family. She paints a setting that is idyllic, far from the dark secrets that unfold as the novel progresses. Once Rhys commits suicide, Lorelei can do little to prevent the reader from understanding that the family is far from what she’d like it to be.

The relationships between the siblings are all strained, even from early on. Meg has little patience for her mother’s hoarding and calls her mentally ill long before...