-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
From New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of novel This Is How It Always Is comes a novel that asks, "What makes a family?"
"Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don't we ever get that movie?"
India Allwood grew up wanting to be an actor. Armed with a stack of index cards (for research/line memorization/make-shift confetti), she goes from awkward sixteen-year-old to Broadway ingenue to TV superhero.
Her new movie is a prestige picture about adoption, but its spin is the same old tired story of tragedy. India is an adoptive mom in real life though. She wants everyone to know there's more to her family than pain and regret. So she does something you should never do — she tells a journalist the truth: it's a bad movie.
Soon she's at the center of a media storm, battling accusations from the press and the paparazzi, from protesters on the right and advocates on the left. Her twin ten-year-olds know they need help – and who better to call than family? But that's where it gets really messy because India's not just an adoptive mother…
The one thing she knows for sure is what makes a family isn't blood. And it isn't love. No matter how they're formed, the truth about family is this: it's complicated.
What are you reading this week? (3/12/2025)
I am reading One Two Three by Laurie Frankel. It is very Erin Brockovich. It is about the town of Bourne that has been polluted by a chemical plant. Everyone is affected. The main characters are triplets who are each affected differently by the pollution. The relatives of the plant owners want to...
-Cheryl_Winter
What are some books you loved reading in 2024?
Here are some of my 2024 fiction favorites: :books: There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak (historical fiction) :books: Orbital by Samantha Harvey (literary fiction) :books: Babel by R F Kuang (fantasy) :books: The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Armin (classic) :books: A Psalm for the Wild ...
-Gabi_J
"Frankel has written a funny, heart-wrenching, deeply personal story about the meaning of family and holding fast to one's beliefs. India is the star of Frankel's novel, but the supporting characters are warm and vibrant, each getting their own opportunity to shine. Highly recommended for fans of Frankel and those who enjoy literary fiction featuring witty dialogue and thought-provoking topics."
―Library Journal (starred review)
"...Frankel offers a hilarious and sobering view of adoptive parenting through her portrayals of the cheerful and honest India and Rebecca's open-minded adoptive mother...this is great fun."
―Publishers Weekly
"Frankel's back! Without giving away too much of her dizzying plot, which is supercharged with cliffhanger chapter endings and parallel reveals, the novel is dedicated to the premise that not every adoption story is one of trauma―along the way we will enjoy many fine young characters (Kevin Wilson fans who haven't yet tried Frankel should) and classic Frankelisms...Full of warmth, humor, and sound advice."
―Kirkus Reviews
"Frankel finds the truth of modern family within the sparkly, funny characters."
―Booklist
This information about Family Family was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Natalia Dotto
Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the novels Family Family, One Two Three, Goodbye for Now, The Atlas of Love, and the Reese's Book Club Pick This Is How It Always Is. Frankel lives in Seattle with her husband, daughter, and border collie.
If you liked Family Family, try these:
by Lisa Bird-Wilson
Published 2023
An Indigenous woman adopted by white parents goes in search of her identity in this unforgettable debut novel about family, race, and history.
by R.J. Hoffmann
Published 2022
A riveting debut novel about a couple whose dream of adopting a baby is shattered when the teenage mother reclaims her child.
by Brit Bennett
Published 2022
From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Mothers, a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.
Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
