Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven — ★★★★

After a couple of recent disappointments, this felt like a return to form; a genuinely satisfying read. Not quite a five-star knockout, but a very solid four.

Bug Hollow is, at its core, a generational family drama that explores grief, complicated relationships, and the long aftershocks of loss. The catalyst is the death of Ellis Samuelson, the eldest son, whose brief, idyllic time at a Northern California commune in the 1970s ends a few weeks later in a sudden, tragic accident. When his pregnant girlfriend, Julia, appears on the family’s doorstep several weeks after that, the trajectory of the Samuelsons’ lives is quietly but permanently altered.

From there, Huneven constructs the novel as a series of interconnected episodes, each chapter shifting focus to a different family member across decades. It could have felt fragmented, but instead it works. The structure allows the full picture to emerge gradually, with each perspective adding depth and texture. Some people like a nice narrative flow, but I actually liked this “assembled” approach. It rewards patience and attention, and the pieces come together in a satisfying way.

Each member of the family copes differently: Sybil retreats into work. Phil finds solace elsewhere, Katie returns home seeking resolution, and Sally (probably the book's emotional center) steps into a caretaker role for the child Ellis never knew. I found myself especially drawn to Sally, and the first half of the novel in particular was gripping.

That said, the book leans more toward what happened than how it felt. There’s emotion here, but it’s often understated, even at moments where you might expect a deeper emotional excavation. In fact, this is one of those rare cases where I wouldn’t have minded a longer book—some of these characters and moments deserved a bit more room to breathe - although I wouldn't have wept if the author had left out a weird chapter at the end involving a very peripheral character, and elderly woman teacher, and her Jamaican companion. That chapter felt a little out of sync, but it didn't detract much from the whole of the book

It’s also worth noting that despite the title, Bug Hollow itself is more of a starting point than a central setting. This isn’t really a novel about commune life, but about the ripple effects of a single loss over nearly fifty years.

Huneven is clearly a skilled writer, juggling multiple timelines and perspectives with ease. Ultimately, Bug Hollow is a thoughtful, engaging portrait of a family shaped by tragedy and time. It’s not overly sentimental, sometimes almost restrained, but always compelling.