One good thing about the holidays: It makes you grateful for time you don’t spend with your crazy family.

Another perspective on the matter? Galt Niederhoffer’s witty debut novel, A Taxonomy of Barnacles. Like Little Women meets The Royal Tenenbaums, it stars the many and varied daughters of the Barnacle brood — Bell, Belinda, Beth, Beryl, and bratty Benita — who come home to roost in their father’s New York apartment, along with his second wife, his ex-wife, their mother, and her adopted African-American son.

The reason for their return? Dad wants them to battle for their inheritance by providing the answer to his question: Is nature or nurture stronger? Feuds, alliances, and long-dormant romances with twin neighbor boys are all ignited, and the effect is like a 1930s screwball comedy, infused with a modern sensibility (Niederhoffer has, until now, been a film producer) and peppered with familial issues that make yours look downright healthy.

Giving you yet another thing to be grateful for.

Available at your local bookstore or online at amazon.com.