Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
is about the complexities of women and families told through the Marte Sisters and their daughters. While the story is centered around the living wake that Flor wants to have for herself, what unfolds is the sister and daughter dynamics and their lives presently in New York and the past in the Dominican Republic. There’s also a little bit of magical realism as all the Marte women have a ‘talent.’ These talents are what make and, at times, break these women.

This was a wonderful emotive story of women and families. Elizabeth Acevedo knows language and how to use it beautifully.

A few favorite sentences...
“The little mouth inside of my creativity that became hungry when I hadn’t offered it something new to chew on, to work through, hadn’t been craving anything academic in a long time.”

“If all my sisters were born unnatural, or perhaps, in the ways of wild creatures, overly natural, attuned to the fluctuations of living the way elephants can feel earthquakes half a world away through their feet, I was the one least connected.”

“And I know the heart is a burial ground for memories that shame and hurt. You can visit and place flowers there and make it a tomb. Or let those things act as fertilizer and pay no homage.”

“Ancestors: you showed up in the season of sorrow and carry me into the season of sweetness”

Thank you, @netgalley and @eccobooks for the eARC.

Getting an ARC of “Family Lore” has honestly been one of the highlights of 2023 so far…y’all know how much I love an @acevedowrites book!

This is not the writing of “Poet X” or “With the Fire on High”—this is truly a foray away from her previous YA novels. Everything, from the subject matter to the syntax, feels more mature. It was actually a bit shocking at first to absorb how different this book was from what I was my assumed expectations; this is an exciting break away from her previous directions.

Throughout the first third of the book, I had to work to read. Understanding the family dynamics, the “rules” of the world, and the structure of Ona’s narrative took my full attention. It wasn’t until about the halfway point when things started to click and—somewhat suddenly—I feel in love with the Marte sisters & their daughters. It was like the magic of the story finally settled in and enveloped me throughout the remaining chapters. Ona weaves in the former generation’s pasts alongside the present events—centered around her mother, who has dreams which foreshadow death, announcing that she will be hosting her own living wake—and the end result is a compilation of heartbreak and comfort.

“Family Lore” is built on a foundation of magical realism, and the book uses this to entwine the more uncomfortable scenes of the book with the romanticized moments that the characters encounter together. Every single character grew on me as I continued to read, and while I have my favorites—Pastora and Yadi, hands down—I truly enjoyed every section, as told in each of their voices.

This is a book I will definitely be picking up a copy of when it officially releases in August (and my collection of Acevedo’s writing will continue to expand!). It’s truly a beautiful narrative that encompasses family, femininity, and love in all of its forms. Truly a stunning read!

Thanks to @netgalley and @eccobooks for providing me with this copy 💕

She’s done it again! Written a powerful and empowering book that is equal parts ethereal beauty of language and hope grounded in the realities of life. I want every teen I’ve ever taught to read this book - and all her books. Gah! I’m so thankful that Elizabeth Acevedo writes!!!!!

ARC releasing 8/1/23. The women in the Marte family all have gifts and Flor is that she can predict when someone will die. When she plans her own wake, her family thinks the worst and her daughter, Ona, begins to weave through the family history with all of the women in the family. I've really enjoyed this author in the past so this was a giant bummer. I could get on board with the magical gifts until one of the women had a magical vagina. It was incredibly difficult for me to keep all 6 characters straight as each chapter was from a different woman. The format was also somewhat confusing because it was hard to tell what they were telling Ona and what was omniscient.

What a beautiful book! I enjoyed the mothers and sisters and daughters that Acevedo created for a family story. You will want to invest time and dig into this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars!

This is the book I have been dreaming of for years! I fell in love with Elizabeth Acevedo after reading Poet X... and everything else she's ever written! I love YA, but getting an adult novel is a real treat.

This book follows four sisters, each with a little bit of magic. We see each of them using their gifts, getting closer as sisters, and making difficult decisions as time leads up to one sister's living wake. In addition to following the sisters, we also get the perspective of two cousins, Yadi and Ona, each with their own serious plot lines. I'll be honest; the sheer number of characters we are following and that have complete plots could be confusing and a bit overwhelming (we get six perspectives). I'm not sure I had who was who straight until after the halfway point, and even then, time jumps with scenes from the past left me a bit lost.

Despite heavy topics, this book was an utter, unputdownable joy. It celebrates life, love, family, individuality, and choice. I loved this book and highly recommend it to fans of Julia Alvarez, family dramas, intergenerational stories, a hint of magic in contemporary settings, and highly lovable characters.

Content warnings for sex, cheating, and death.

Huge thank you to Elizabeth Acevedo, Ecco, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I cannot wait to see what Acevedo does next.

I want to start off by saying that Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my favorite authors. She has mastered poetry in books and writing for young adults. I was extremely happy that she decided to write an adult novel. Family Lore fascinated me from the first page. I absolutely loved the story and loved following the multiple family members/characters.

First, I will put what I did not enjoy about the book. I know that this is an ARC/uncorrected proof copy that has not been proofed. I found a number of errors that I know will be fixed upon final review, so I won't mention those. It's just the grammar nerd in me couldn't look away! I will say that there were some parts that I did not understand since the Spanish didn't translate exactly. I asked my Panamanian mother about a number of the translations, but some can't translate exactly, and I couldn't follow. For example, in the Pastora chapter that discusses "La Vieja [redacted]", I couldn't follow what this meant or who this person was. I think this will be corrected during the final version, but I didn't understand most of this. Also, I had no idea what the last chapter, "Abstract", was about. I couldn't tell who the narrator or character was supposed to be. I read it about 3 times and was still lost. I understood the ending and where each character was left, but this chapter didn't seem to fit.

Next, I will put what I did love about the book, which is everything else! The storylines of each sister and daughter/niece were perfection. I love how the past and present were woven together. It flowed seamlessly and never distracted me from the present storyline or what was happening. There were characters that I loved (#justiceforMatilde!) over others, but each character had their strengths and weaknesses, and it all fit so well. This reminded me so much of the strong Afro-Latina women in my own family. The entire premise of the book with Flor having her living wake was so well-written. I love how we as the reader didn't know if she was dreaming about herself or someone else. I am glad that we did not find out the true nature of the wake until the ending. Oh, and I really loved that we only get the narration of the women in the family. I loved hearing their points of view of how the men and their female family members fit into their lives. I was happy that the women characters of this family were prominently featured.

There is so much more I could add about each character individually, but I want to leave that to the future readers of this beautiful book. I truly appreciate having the opportunity to read the advance copy and for the publisher to read my notes about the book. Elizabeth Acevedo NEVER misses! She is a phenomenal author and deserves to be praised for this amazing piece of work. THANK YOU!

Family Lore is the past and present story of a Dominican family living in New York, as told by the family's women. At the center of the book is Flor, who has the gift of seeing death; she knows when people will die. Flor has decided to throw herself a living wake to celebrate her life, which sends her family into a panic because they wonder if Flor has foreseen her own death. Besides Flor, the primary protagonists are her three sisters (Matilde, Pastora, and Camila), her daughter (Ona) and her niece (Yadi). All of the women have a gift and a storyline. The book covers the several weeks leading up to the wake while weaving in stories from the past in order to tell the family's history.

I over-loved this book. This book made me angry, sad, excited, anxious, happy; it elicited all of the feelings and emotions. I saw my family in this family. I felt all of the overprotective mothering and all of the pain. I loved the anthropological aspect, the facts, and all of the history that was woven into the story. I loved the hate for Christopher Columbus (that motherfucker). The writing is poetic and beautiful throughout the entire book.

The things I didn't like were very minor. The sisters have a brother and I didn't really see why he was a part of the book; he didn't serve much of a purpose. The circle also never closed for me on Camila's husband (I mean, I have my theories).

I need this book when it comes out and I need one for all of my cousins as well. Obsessed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Family Lore gives the reader a look inside a complex family of women. Mothers, daughters and sisters.

Each member of the family has a special talent that they carry through all of life. It made me think of an adult version of Encanto.

The chapters are broken up into different family members POV as well as an interview transcript. This allows you to follow the story easily and I find those types of chapters make it easier for me to read a book more quickly.

There is a sexual aspect to the book. Nothing vulgar but putting it out there in case you don’t enjoy that kind of thing.

I love that Spanish is scattered throughout the book. I’m on a three year streak of doing Duolingo Spanish so I enjoyed the opportunity to use my knowledge.

This is my first time reading anything by the author and won’t be my last! Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read. I have written this review voluntarily.

Elizabeth Acevedo is hot or miss for me. I’ve read most of her YA books so was excited to read something more adult from her. Unfortunately this wasn’t for me. It was beautifully written but the plot was severely lacking and there were too many characters to keep track of.

This beautiful book flawlessly weaves together the history of all the female members of a family. Reading it is like watching a quilt come together, piece by piece, and you’re wrapped up in the coziness as you read.

This is not a fairy tale family filled with rainbows and butterflies and bullshit. The stories are raw, unfiltered, and realistic.

It is an interesting but not always uplifting read.

Elizabeth Acevedo is such a spectacular writer and I will always read what she puts out. I think that this new foray into adult literature is a great fit for her to really showcase her talent for storytelling.

I do enjoy the quicker pace of her YA books and felt that this one dragged a bit at times, but that may be because I had read another family drama novel right before it.

Her characters will entertain you and move you.

Overall, it is a fantastic read! I look forward to reading more of her adult books in the future!

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #familylore

I’ve read everything Elizabeth Acevedo has written and she simply does not miss. This was Acevedo's first adult novel and it is a beautifully written multi-generational family drama spanning countries and decades. The majority of the book takes place during the few days leading up to one of the family member’s living wake. It’s told through the point of view of the women of the family and I was sad when I finished it. They are each so unique and fun to read about. Once this is published in August, I hope the first few pages includes a family tree to see how the characters are related.

Elizabeth Acevedo's work as a novelist is out of this world. She creates these rich characters and a family where you can feel yourself a part of the drama. This book is as much about the family she describes, as it is about all of our families and how we accept or deny the truths about who we are and our gifts. Beautifully written and powerful. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo. It was a beautiful novel of family dynamic and magical realism. Acevedo weaves together the stories of all of the characters seamlessly.

Flor has the ability to predict when someone will die. She decides to have a living wake for herself, which sends the family into a tail spin.
The story begins with the lead up to the wake and tells the story of her sisters and cousins. Each of them are harboring their own secrets of infidelity, feelings, and fertility. I have loved everything I've read by her and this was a phenomenal adult debut.

Elizabeth Acevedo is one of the best voices of our time. In this novel, she delves into a Dominican American family through the eyes of the women, each of whom have a special gift. Flor's gift is to forsee a person's death. And after a particular dream, she decides to hold her own living wake, causing speculation among her family. The generations come together to celebrate her life. Each of the women tell their own story and share their gifts.

What a beautifully written book but what else could we expect from a wordsmith like Elizabeth Acevedo?! I could not put this book down, wanting to know more and more about this family. Seeing snippets of their lives present and past gave us a good idea of the lives of the Marte women and their own specific struggles & gifts. I loved the magical realism aspects of the women and how that helped to put the story along. I did have to go back to the first page to remember each of the women because there were so many characters, I would say that was the only fault. Too many well-rounded characters! I loved seeing the poetic writing style of Acevedo in a book written for adults and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Lovely book!

Elizabeth Acevedo wrote an enchanting book Centering on the life’s of women from different generations whose familial thread is beautifully captured in the story.

We need more stories of women and their special gifts. To know their stories; the good and bad. All of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for the eARC of this novel.

I love Elizabeth Acevedo's YA work and was so excited to see her debut adult fiction novel. This novel centers on a family - specifically the women of the family, their unique gifts, their relationships, and the challenges each experience while intertwining the stories.

I absolutely shed some tears throughout this book and felt strongest about Yadi. I will read anything Acevedo writes.

I've been a big fan of Acevedo's books for young adults and was looking forward to reading her debut novel for adults. As they previously have been, her characters are well developed and easy to connect with, but the overall organization of the novel gave me a bit of a headache. The plot was interesting so I stuck with it, but it was a difficult read for me.

To preface the rest of my review, there are a LOT of key characters. There's a brief list of who's who in the beginning, but something visual would have helped me more. A character map or a family tree (something graphic) would have better explained how all the characters are connected, and would have been easier for me to snap a picture of on my phone to reference while I continued the book.

Ona (one of the granddaughters) is interviewing different family members and that is why the point of view shifts so often. I wish that was explained earlier in the book, instead of 18% into the book in the middle of a Pastora chapter...

"One had been asking the women in the family all these questions... Pastora had agreed to the interviews, convinced she'd lived a long and colorful life and would have a lot to offer her inquisitive niece..."

Sometimes the story is being told from the point of view of that specific character, but sometimes it's Ona narrating - I wish it was more clear which was happening because I'd go a few pages in a new chapter before figuring out who's perspective I was reading from. There are also flashbacks that don't really have a transition to alert you that you've moved backwards in time until you're a few paragraphs in.

The organization made the book difficult to follow, but I liked the characters and the storyline.

This book is just stunning. Acevedo’s writing and storytelling is so gorgeous and this story of family, secrets, and love was wonderful.