Laurie Frankel writes books that challenge the conventional way of thinking. Family Family is no different. India Allwood grew up knowing she wanted to be an actress, as long as she doesn't have to sing, so no musicals. As India gets into her senior year and preparing for college, the unexpected happens; she finds out she is pregnant. Knowing she has her dreams laid out before her, she knows a baby isn't in her cards but is it in someone else's? Did she become pregnant to give her baby to someone else and make their dreams come true? Fast forward to current time, India is raising her two little ones, juggling motherhood and her acting career. India speaks out about her latest project and the media takes everything the wrong way. Adoption isn't always how it is portrayed in the media. It isn't always the kids looking for their lost parents and the parent that gave them up swallowed up in a life of regret and sadness. Sometimes it is exactly how it was supposed to be.
This is the second book by Laurie Frankel that I have read. Family Family is a thought-provoking, family centered, love story about a mom and her version of the world. I laughed, I cried, I pondered. So many emotions in this book. This book is so well written. It is written in present time with flash-backs from India's childhood and college life. Chapters were clearly labeled and easy to understand where you were in time. Chapters were a great length. Nothing too long so it was easy to pause between chapters. I will always recommend anything Frankel writes and will always be on the lookout for other work by her. Special thanks to Laurie Frankel, NetGalley, and Henry Holt & Company for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 BIG Stars for me!

Laurie Frankel is so good at writing families who FEEL like family - complicated, loving, sometimes distant, sometimes suffocatingly close and in her musing on adoption, I think she does this again deftly. The book is also nuanced in the way it examines adoption as something that doesn't have to be lifelong trauma - I think sometimes this gets bogged down by a lot of plot. We have a complicated past and a complex present and I think the mechanics of understanding all of the context of the story makes it hard to really get immersed in all of the characters and their individual voices. That said, I appreciated the heart of the story and Frankel's author's note was even an emotional addition to land on.

Got so wrapped up I forgot to stop. Powerful blend of real emotion and social topics. Although a slow start, once in you won’t be able to put it down.

Family Family has a past/present structure that really worked for me. In the past, India Allwood becomes pregnant in high school, places the child for adoption, moves to New York to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, and how she got to the current timeline. In the present, India Allwood has two adopted children and recently agreed with criticisms of the movies she just starred in about adoption.

I don't feel like I can put it into the right words, but I was completely swept up in Family Family. Frankel is a consistently excellent writer and storyteller. The characters were charming and the dialogue was so clever. I appreciated the perspectives on adoption and other ways of having or not having children that Family Family explored. I'll continue to seek out writing from Frankel.

"𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦."

No one writes about parenting and family like Laurie Frankel. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘐𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘐𝘵 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘐𝘴 is one of my favorite books and 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 touched me in the same way.

Frankel doesn't shy away from difficult topics; instead, she provides different ways of looking at them through wonderfully layered characters readers can't help but come to love. In this book, the wildly creative story focuses on adoption and what makes a family. There are multiple POVs and timelines with twists and turns I never expected, some that made me laugh and others that broke my heart. I found myself highlighting line after line because I identified with so many. (One of my favorites comes from India, an actress, on motherhood - "There was no understudy... It was just you, monologuing unscripted to an unruly audience until you died." Amen, sister!) This is the brilliance of Frankel's work. You may not be going through what her characters are but the emotions and experiences are completely relatable. It allows you to walk in the shoes of people you might never otherwise, and I'm all the more empathetic because of it.

This is my first five-star read of 2024, and I have no doubt it will be at the top of my year-end best list come December.

Thanks to Henry Holt Books the copy to review.

An absolutely wonderful novel about what makes a family, full of endearingly quirky characters. The book starts in the present day, where famous actress India Allwood gets in trouble when she sort of accidentally criticizes her new movie to a journalist, complaining about why adoption is always presented in popular culture as a traumatic thing. But when her ten year old kids step in to help, things start getting even more complicated. Along with the present day storyline, the book also flashes back all the way to 1998 when India was in high school, following her through to the present day as we see how she came to be where she is. And in addition to India’s perspective, we get to see the story through various other perspectives including India’s unique kids.

I just adored this book. It beautifully explores what family means, how adoption can be a happy thing for all involved, and how family is family whether biological or not - just as messy but just as potentially wonderful. If you have read any of Laurie Frankel’s previous books (I’ve read and loved three of her previous four), you won’t be surprised to hear that this one is full of heart, emotions, indelible characters, and things that make you think - but what this one adds to the mix is so much humor. I truly laughed and cried while reading it. And not only did I cry multiple times while reading it, I cried at the author’s note too which might be a first for me. Highly recommend!

4.5 stars

One thing I love about Laurie Frankel’s books is how they make me really think about what family means. Her family stories are complex yet beautiful. This book was no different and gave a different perspective of adoption than we often see in popular media. After reading the author’s note and why this story is so personal to Laurie, I am even more appreciative for her perspective and this story.

India always dreamed of becoming an actress and was able to achieve that dream. When her most recent movie comes under scrutiny for its portrayal of adoption, her own history and thoughts on the topic comes out. As a young woman, India got pregnant and made the decision to make a family’s dreams come true by providing them with a child.

There were many twists and surprises along the way, but at its heart, this is a beautiful story about family in all forms. Not only was it heart-warming and thought-provoking, but it also had me laughing out loud at times with the dialogue. This was truly an incredible story.

Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for the advance copy.

REVIEW👩‍👧‍👦

FAMILY FAMILY ~ Laurie Frankel
Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary Literature/Fiction

Gist: India Allwood’s latest film with an adoption plot line is getting rave reviews from everyone except India. As an adoptive mother herself, India is open to changing the perception to be a more positive one and she lets the critics know. Well, this opens the floodgates for criticism and soon India’s own past comes to find her in the form of the families she created along the way.

Thoughts: No one writes families like Laurie Frankel. After reading (and loving) This is How it Always Is, she gained a fan in me and when I heard about her new release, I jumped at the chance. This is a story full of candor, realism, and humor - the characters jump off the page and I was fully invested in all of their stories and how the tiny threads pull them all together in the most amazing way.

Written in alternating past/present storylines, we are introduced to India in the here and now but are then taken back to learn how her perspectives and gumption bloomed. But what really got me where India’s musings on family - and how all of them, no matter who they are comprised of or how them came to be, are beautiful and a true gift. As stated early on, “Regardless of how they get made, family is a force to be reckoned with.”

Truly loved this story - out next week, January 23rd. A must read if you ask me!

From the authors note - “My job is to make things up in order to tell the truth.”
I am so glad Ms. Frankel wrote this book with all of its wonderful characters, but also the different perspectives of the main character India. To be able to explore that a decision made by two people is not alway for the same reason, nor do you alway understand why a decision was made. I think this book will find a wide audience. Thank you Net Galley for the early release.

“Regardless of how family gets made, family is a force to be reckoned with.”

This book came at just the right time for me. After bingeing as many SJM books as possible the past couple of weeks, a family story was what exactly what I needed and this did not disappoint.

This book is about love. This book is about family. Family that you are born with, family that you create, and family that you find. The humor is so good. The writing makes you want to just read one more chapter..until the book is over. There are multiple timelines and POVS but is done so well.

The banter, wit, and humor were all so good 🤌 if you were to combine The Family Stone with Gilmore Girls, you would have Family Family.

Fig and Jack have my heart 🫶 BUT with this cast of characters, it’s hard to find one you don’t love. I loved India Allwood and how much of her own person she is. From a high school dreamer to an adult with her dream career, India is India. The relationship between India and her mom throughout the timelines and POV was also a highlight.

“First, love.”


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW: PTSD, anxiety attacks, child abuse


Released 1/23! Thank you @netgalley for my e-arc!

Wow, I have never read Laurie Frankel before, but the writing in this novel is absolutely exquisite and the story was so engrossing that I never wanted to put it down. I always needed to read just one more chapter, even as my eyelids were struggling to stay open after midnight! The way Frankel developed our main character India through flashbacks was incredible, and we got to watch her growth live and in person. I loved all of the characters and how Frankel introduced them one at a time as a piece of India's story.

I know adoption is a topic that touches people in different ways-- having had adoption touch my family I know that not every reader will directly relate to how adoption worked within this fictional family, but that is the point of this novel. No one adoption story is exactly the same as any other, and there are complicated feelings and a lot of nuance. But Frankel writes an affirming and heartwarming story that I absolutely loved from start to finish.

I'm so grateful for receiving this advance copy so that I can explore Frankel's backlist. Wonderful book!

I love how the author is able to explore and enlighten the reader on family topics. This book inspired me to think about adoption and families in new ways. I actually didn’t realize how many preconceived notions I had on the topic of adoption prior to reading this engaging story. There are so many perspectives that I’d never considered before now. And that in itself makes it a worthy read. I recommend it!

It’s always the best feeling ever to read a book of this caliber so early in the year. Books like this are truly why I love reading. I was so invested in every single character, both the past and present timelines, the surprise elements that continued to unfold in the most seamless and intriguing ways, and the WRITING. Truly some of the best writing I have encountered, and feel genuinely lucky to have read. Also the most beautiful dedication to adoptive families ❤️

It is so incredibly rare to find a book this beautifully written and well crafted; I enjoyed it so much!

Thank you, Henry Holt and NetGalley for the chance to read Family Family by Laurie Frankel.
What a fun read this was! This book digs deep into some big topics surrounding family - including pregnancy, abortion, adoption, child abuse, drug use - in a sensitive, loving manner. It was funny and warm-hearted, and each character was so unique and loveable.
India Allwood is an actress whose every move is documented and used for the world's entertainment. When she aims to tell an uplifting, positive portrayal of adoption on the big screen, her personal connection to the film is brought to the forefront of everyone's criticism and gossip. India's adopted 10-year-old twins take it upon themselves to contact others who are connected to their mom, and what ensues is a humorous, addictive love story of chosen family, lost family, and family family.
I loved it.

So many ARC readers raved about this book and I can understand why. It highlights the complexities of families, dynamics, relationships etc with a focus on adoption, which isn’t something covered often. While so many of us cannot relate entirely, we can understand that some people in our lives most certainly are our family. The siblings are lovable characters that draw you into their unique stories and personalities. I’ll be recommending this one many fellow readers.

Family Family follows Fig and Jack and their mom, India. Frankel’s writing brings them all to life with wit and warmth. I especially love the dialogue. Each character has their own voice that makes the reader feel connected and invested in them.

Like Frankel’s other books, Family Family takes a complex topic and breaks it down, capturing the subtleties and nuances. I don’t have any personal connection or insight into adoption or adoptive families, but I’m here for a book that treats a complex issue with respect for its complexities.

This book began “ Ho Hum” for me, as I am not in to teen romances, either high school or college, and reading about both was almost too much. However, knowing it was a Laurie Frankel novel, I hung on and was so glad I did, as it quickly became smart, funny and page turning. While the actions sometimes seemed over the top, I realize sometimes it takes exaggeration to drive a point home. I appreciate the opportunity of an advance read. #NetGalley. # FamilyFamily

Thank you Henry Holt & Co. and NetGalley for the ARC!

Another gem by Laurie Frankel! As a big fan of her previous works, I was so excited to be offered this ARC. This book had me in both happy tears and sad tears, as Frankel is apt to do. This story breaks down what it means to be a family, blood-relative or otherwise. I loved this book so much and am truly sad it’s over.

Thank you again for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the kindle download and audiobook version of “Family, Family” by Laurie Frankel. This story is centered around the concepts of adoption and family. India is the main character of to story. She gave a daughter up for adoption after becoming pregnant in high school and then a son after becoming pregnant in college. Once her adult life began, she adopted twins.

India was staring in a movie that portrayed that children of adoption ended up with a sad life and often turned to drug use. She was not in agreement with the film and the way adoption was portrayed. The twins reached out to the India’s first child Rebecca. Once the three kids were together, they devised a plan and got India’s son and his fathers together. All of the kids and adoptive parents came together to show that adoptions can be positive and a supportive environment for children. India gave an interview disputing the movie. She wanted to show that adoptions can have a happy ending for all involved. Also, that family can be a force to be reckoned with.

Much like Laurie Frankel’s other books, Family Family is very thought-provoking. I love how her books address modern family issues and struggles. This book examines adoption and what it means to be a true family. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley and publisher.