Author Spotlight: Tracey Lange

This week, I am spotlighting one of my favorite authors, Tracey Lange. Born in New York City, Lange uses her background in psychology to write family dramas with authentic characters who deal with situations and experience issues that readers can relate to or have experienced themselves. Her third novel, What Happened to the McCrays?, published earlier this year to great acclaim by trade publications and reviewers alike. Publishers Weekly states: “The novel’s emotional range is impressive, particularly the slow-burn rekindling between its two leads, and snowy, close-knit Potsdam comes to life. Readers in search of a perceptive and rewarding family drama need look no further.” 

All three of her books were Buzz Reads picks. I included What Happened to the McCrays? as one of my Buzz Reads Jan. 2025 picks. 

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange – The queen of compelling family dramas returns with her best novel yet, a story that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Several years earlier, Kyle McCray fled his hometown of Potsdam, New York leaving his ex-wife and father behind. When his father suffers a stroke, Kyle reluctantly returns to help, but dreads his homecoming after abandoning his family and the town. As the story toggles between the past and the present, Kyle’s life with his wife Casey unfolds in both timelines. While home, he also gets drawn into coaching the middle-school hockey team, and these scenes in the story are standouts. Lange’s relatable, everyday characters who struggle to make their way in the world will resonate with readers who will see themselves in the people she writes. The themes of grief, mental health, relationships, aging, and community that are woven throughout the book are evergreen and relevant to everyone. Have tissues ready, because What Happened to the McCrays? is a tear-jerker at times. It will be a great fit for fans of family dramas and compelling stories. 

I chose The Connellys of County Down as one of my Buzz Reads Aug. 2023 picks. 

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange (fiction) – Fans of Lange’s debut We Are the Brennans will revel in her standalone sophomore outing, The Connellys of County Down. The three Connelly siblings, Geraldine, Eddie, and Tara, lost their parents when they were young, and life has not been easy for them since. When Tara is released from prison and returns home to live with Geraldine and Eddie, she upsets the uneasy equilibrium that her siblings had reached while she was gone. Things aren’t quite what they seem and, as secrets are slowly unveiled, the siblings struggle to keep their family together. I thoroughly enjoyed the sibling dynamics and am a huge fan of Lange’s writing and characters. This is a great choice for readers who love family dramas and solid character development.

We Are the Brennans was selected as one of my Buzz Reads Nov. 2021 picks. 

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange – This terrific contemporary drama follows the Brennans, an Irish Catholic family whose bonds and livelihood are tested when estranged daughter Sunday Brennan is involved in a drunk driving incident and returns home to New York to recover. Five years prior, Sunday had fled to California with no explanation to her family orand long-time boyfriend, Kale. While she is happily and immediately welcomed back into the family fold, her arrival slowly triggers a release of long-held secrets, which spark a chain of events that require the Brennans to put aside their differences to keep their family intact. We Are the Brennans is a beautifully rendered story that highlights the importance of family and that reminds us there are consequences no matter the choices made.

If you love family dramas and/or engaging stories, I highly recommend checking out Lange’s books. 

Do you have a favorite author whose stories really resonate with you? Share your favorites below!

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram.