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Book Summary and Reviews of Family Family by Laurie Frankel

Family Family by Laurie Frankel

Family Family

A Novel

by Laurie Frankel

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Published:
  • Jan 2024, 400 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

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.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. What books/movies/TV shows come to mind when you think about adoption? Or what have you read or watched recently that maybe wasn't about adoption but featured it as a plot point or character device? What sorts of messages about adoption do they convey? What sorts of messages surrounding adoption do you get from the news, social media, friends and family? How does Family Family fit in with or challenge these messages?
  2. Fig and Jack make lists of scary things so they can rename them and make them their own—thus the term "dwebs" (dweebs on the web). Why does their therapist recommend this approach to processing the trauma of their past and the challenges of their present? How does language bestow power? Do you have words or ...
Please be aware that this discussion may contain spoilers!

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What are some books you loved reading in 2024?
...also loved The sound of a wild snail eating. Below are my 2024 5 star reads The will of the many by James Islington The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon Family Family by Laurie Frankel How to Read A Book by Monica Wood, (also loved one in a million boy by Monica Wood) The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey The Tal...
-Karen_Riccio

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"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.

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Author Information

Laurie Frankel Author Biography

Photo: Natalia Dotto

Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of five novels. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Publisher's Weekly, People Magazine, Lit Hub, The Sydney Morning Herald, and other publications. She is the recipient of the Washington State Book Award and the Endeavor Award. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and been optioned for film and TV. A former college professor, she now writes full-time in Seattle, Washington where she lives with her family and makes good soup.

Link to Laurie Frankel's Website

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  • This Is How It Always Is jacket
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