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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
I had no time to get sucked into a novel this week, but that’s what happened. I picked up Laurie Frankel’s Family Family at @BoulderBookstore on Friday and started it Sunday night, then resented having to put it down for work in the morning.
The plot is, forgive me, ridiculous and Frankel isn’t subtle about her agenda: to broaden our adoption narratives and definitions of family. I don’t like novels with agendas, in general and even when I applaud the goal. I make an exception for Frankel though because she creates characters you can’t help rooting for, scenes you can picture fully, and dialogue that propels the story.
This is a fun read, told with dual timelines and an eagerness to make you think. Maybe about adoption — we’ve had some great conversations here about whether India (and her creator) are correct—that adoption is too often depicted as a sad sorry of loss or regret. That hasn’t been my experience—Frankel, as an adoptive parent, likely knows more, but until a story in The Nation a few years ago — and the movie “Lion” — I hadn’t realized how complicated the experience of adoptees could be.
There is room for more nuance in all family stories, and the book made me think about more: whether breaking up with someone you love can be the more generous gift, whether knowing where you came from can possibly outweigh the value of feeling wanted (I don’t think so), and that I, like Andy, couldn’t fathom the life I’m living now. Our dreams didn’t come true—because we didn’t have the tools to dream this big, but we won the lotto anyway.
The plot is, forgive me, ridiculous and Frankel isn’t subtle about her agenda: to broaden our adoption narratives and definitions of family. I don’t like novels with agendas, in general and even when I applaud the goal. I make an exception for Frankel though because she creates characters you can’t help rooting for, scenes you can picture fully, and dialogue that propels the story.
This is a fun read, told with dual timelines and an eagerness to make you think. Maybe about adoption — we’ve had some great conversations here about whether India (and her creator) are correct—that adoption is too often depicted as a sad sorry of loss or regret. That hasn’t been my experience—Frankel, as an adoptive parent, likely knows more, but until a story in The Nation a few years ago — and the movie “Lion” — I hadn’t realized how complicated the experience of adoptees could be.
There is room for more nuance in all family stories, and the book made me think about more: whether breaking up with someone you love can be the more generous gift, whether knowing where you came from can possibly outweigh the value of feeling wanted (I don’t think so), and that I, like Andy, couldn’t fathom the life I’m living now. Our dreams didn’t come true—because we didn’t have the tools to dream this big, but we won the lotto anyway.
I loved this book. Laurie Frankel writes characters you want to know and love. This book, similarly to This Is How It Always Is, gave me all the good feelings in its beautiful definition of what it means to be a family. The audiobook is terrific, too.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A must read!!! Loved it SO MUCH!! Everyone deserves to be represented and more so in a positive way. Beautifully written story of adoption and found family. SO GOOD!!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“Wider ranges of normal make the world a better place for everyone” ❤️
Laurie Frankel writes some of the most important books I have had the pleasure of listening to. The characters are irresistibly relatable. She writes the children and their needs and wants and voices perfectly.
Anyone remotely interested in, curious about, or loves some who has experienced adoption will find themself in this beautiful book. It soften and widened my view on adoption and I am so grateful for that.
Laurie Frankel writes some of the most important books I have had the pleasure of listening to. The characters are irresistibly relatable. She writes the children and their needs and wants and voices perfectly.
Anyone remotely interested in, curious about, or loves some who has experienced adoption will find themself in this beautiful book. It soften and widened my view on adoption and I am so grateful for that.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Family Family is a thought provoking look at families in all the ways they are formed. I loved seeing the perspective of adoption from all sides and how it can be a happy and life changing situation for not only the adoptive parents.
I enjoyed the way the story was slowly revealed and seeing the layers of India’s life take place. With that being said, I did feel that it was perhaps a little too slow for me and could have been told in far less pages to hold my attention better.
I enjoyed the way the story was slowly revealed and seeing the layers of India’s life take place. With that being said, I did feel that it was perhaps a little too slow for me and could have been told in far less pages to hold my attention better.