This is a beautiful family saga that will draw you in from the moment you press play. Jessica lives and works in Brooklyn and is super close with her loud, invasive, opinionated love filled family. They are in each others business all of the time and have no boundaries. That is except for the subject of her mothers family. So when Jessica is contacted by Luis, a man who works for her grandmother, she makes the trip to Florida to meet her and the rest of the family. She learns of their exile from Cuba, how her grandmother fought to build a business and take care of her family and community having lost her husband to war. In doing so much to take care of her family and community, her eldest daughter felt unloved, uncared for and like everyone else mattered more. When her mother met the man she fell in love with she did not approve of him and so began the estrangement. This is the story of understanding, learning to forgive and let go, family, acceptance, love, moving forward and understanding the past to move to the future. The writing is beautiful. This is one of my favorite books Ive listened to in a long time. The narration was fabulous and added to the listening experience.

I enjoyed this audiobook and the tale of a story of a family that came from Cuba to Miami to make a way for themselves. The innerworkings of family where things are left unsaid, feelings run deep and the younger generation trying to understand the dynamics of a family she has never met.

Not only do you get the family dynamics, but a love story unfolds for Jessica. It wasn't just a love story between a man and a woman, but a woman with her family and the love between a daughter and a mother. It was a wonderful tale of the love and regrets of Carmen (grandmother/mother) and Lara (daughter/mother) plus the relationship of Jessica and Lara. However, it was a new beginning of a relationship for Jessica and Carmen.

This book helps you understand that old feelings should not be harbored, but spoken about and put out into the open so that the hurt does not carry on. Sometimes that protecting people by not speaking your truth can hurt the relationship between you.

It's about new beginnings and learning to love and forgive.

The Family She Never Met is a lovely blend of historical facts and compelling fiction. It’s a delightfully touching tale that’s nostalgic, interesting, heartbreaking, and sweet and does a wonderful job of highlighting Piñeiro’s passion for her familial heritage. The novel explores the complexities of the mother-daughter relationships among them, and I appreciate that their issues were navigated in such a sensitive way, with a believable path to healing. Jessica Russo is startled to receive an invitation to visit her maternal grandmother in Florida. She’s completely unacquainted with this side of her family as her mother has steadfastly not spoken of her mother or family, pretty much ever. Luis Torres would do just about anything for Carmen Gonzalez, a formidable woman who essentially rescued him and his family, even reach out to a granddaughter who isn’t sure she wants to be “found”. I was immediately intrigued by these characters and the mysterious estrangement that had caused Jessica to grow up knowing nothing of her mother's family in Miami nor the trials they had endured in the past. Pineiro skillfully guides the reader through their journey, using brief flashbacks at strategic points to fill in the blanks of their family's saga while at the same time allowing the reader to get to know the characters in the present day. It gave me the opportunity to understand these characters fully, to experience their flaws, fears, mistakes, and motivations. It made them more real to me, their circumstances more compelling, and in the case of Jessica's mother, the anger stemming from her childhood more understandable. I appreciated the fact that the author took her time with them, not giving them easy fixes but letting the characters evolve organically, allowing forgiveness and healing to come slowly, realistically. This story had a great mix of family drama, historical fiction, culture, and romance. I really enjoyed Jessica’s character and I think she handled her situation with grace and determination. I think this one would appeal to readers of all genres.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, the author and NetGalley for the ARC.

The family She Never Met is a beautiful story about three generations of Cuban women. The characters are richly drawn and come to life on the pages. I highly recommend this lyrical novel to anyone who appreciates books that center around family dynamics.