Trollope has written on the theme of family relationships since the start of her career. Balancing Act centres on the Morans, whose daughters all work for Susie Sullivan Pottery, a successful business owned by their mother. As the title of the book suggests, there are a number of things in balance: family and business, company expansion and authenticity, and the hierarchical relationships of the three sisters and mother. The equilibrium is threatened when Morris, Susie’s estranged father, arrives with no warning after decades of absence. Trollope’s writing is extremely considered. As relationships begin to collapse and characters become more isolated, internal monologues replace the previously dialogue-heavy prose. Trollope observes the subtleties of conversation with unmatched attention to detail, making Balancing Act both believable and identifiable. Everyday mundanities (“Grace inserted the bread into the toaster”) slow the pace to what feels like real time, but this also occasionally renders the reading tiresome. The novel is, nonetheless, a revealing and convincing portrayal of life within a family business.
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