Love vs. Livelihood. Classic beat: The founder must choose a successor. The most capable child doesn’t want it; the least capable demands it. Twist: The business is sold to outsiders. Now the family has nothing to fight over—and must face each other as raw people.

How do you turn a dysfunctional family into a page-turner? You cannot just have people yelling at dinner for 300 pages. You need a catalyst and a crucible.