“Family, Family,” by Laurie Frankel, Henry Holt and Co., 400 pages, Jan. 23, 2024.

When India Allwood is 10, her mother buys tickets to “Guys and Dolls.” India thinks it is amazing. She decides then that she wants to be a Broadway actress. Her mother warns her that it is a difficult career.

India becomes a Broadway actress and a television star. She is cast as a superhero in the TV show “Val Halla.” India adopts 4-year-old twins, Fig and Jack. Her latest film, “Flower Child,” is about a now adult woman who became pregnant as a teenager and gave the baby up for adoption. People are angry about the movie.

India gives an interview to Evelyn Esponson and tells her that “Flower Child” is a bad movie because it tells only one story, a tragic one. But India is an adoptive mom herself and knows there’s much more to her family than tragedy. The twins are now 10.

That is the present story line. There is also the story line of the past when India was 16 and a senior in high school. She has a baby that she places for adoption. She selects Camille Eaney, who is divorced, to adopt the baby girl. India and her boyfriend, Robbie Brighton, don’t stay together. Then as a college senior, she has a second baby, a son, with another senior, Davis Shaw.

Although neither is an open adoption, by the time “Flower Child” is out, Fig has already found her sister, Rebecca. After the furor over the movie, Rebecca, 16, makes a video announcing that she is India Allwood’s biological daughter without first talking to India or Camille. Despite how various people may feel about her actions, India is steadfast in her beliefs. Now she may be written out of “Val Halla.”

While this is really a well-written, and at times funny, book, it is far-fetched. The kids, especially Fig, are too precocious and too many people are willing to drop everything and run to help the Allwoods. With those caveats, it is enjoyable.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book changes the very definition of ‘family’.

Thanks Henry Holt and Co & NetGalley for ARC!

Synopsis –

India Allwood has dreamt of becoming an actor all her childhood. Now, she is a celebrated TV superhero in the middle of a media controversy. As an adoptive mother, she wants nothing more than to protect her ten year old twins from it all, but the fun starts when the kids choose to get help from their ‘family’.

Review -

Laurie Frankel's speciality is writing about families and you’ll know that if you’ve read #ThisIsHowItAlwaysIs. She’s taken it to a whole new level in #FamilyFamily.

I loved them all – the quirky 10 year old twins - Fig and Jack, The Andrews, Bex, Robbie, Davis and of course the center of gravity that connects them all – India. What a character!

As we switch between the past and the present, we understand India’s journey as a young adult, a theatre major, then a responsible adult, an accomplished actor and adoptive mother - creating and touching the lives of all these wonderful folks, altering them forever. I adored her passion, zeal and plans to achieve her goal, her index cards and oh the confetti tradition! I was just transfixed and smiled in awe at every stance she took, every choice she made and the way they all ended up shaping her life into something so amazing and precious.

Frankel’s writing is beautiful and I especially enjoyed the dry witty humour she imbues into all the conversations – particularly with the kids. I admired how she creates different energy and emotion with every character, mindful of the past and present timelines.

Dealing with complex matters like adoption, pro-choice and unconventional families, the book sheds light on how families can be of all sizes and types, unbound by blood but bound by togetherness (First, love? - #IYKYK!), how they can be messy, complicated, making you angry, cry, laugh but also standing by you like a rock no matter what. It leaves you nodding your head in acceptance of what it really means by ‘family family’.

The author’s note was enlightening and I appreciated how the author's own experience with adoption has been the inspiration for the book.

The ending was befitting this chaotic dysfunctional family spectacle and is sure put a wide grin on your face, as you applaud with happy tears🥹.

Highly recommend!

Family Family by Laurie Frankel tackles the ideas of family, choice, women's health, pregnancy, and the expectations of society around all of those things. As India says over and over, what family is and what family means is not defined outside of the self. Whether to decide to carry a child and what to do after is not a question with one or two or even three choices. The people in the book tried to balance how those choices affect all of those around them. It was really engaging and touching.

I will pick up anything Frankel writes. She has incredible talent and I have loved everything I've ever read! FAMILY FAMILY is no different! Well thought out, and superbly written.

I was into this book until about halfway through. There was a lot of unnecessary dialogue thrown in there, and I found myself skimming to the end. I really enjoyed the funny moments and the theme about adoption being a first choice and not a last choice. Not a bad read but wasn’t my favorite.

Family Family is the story of India Allwood, a 32 year old actress who is an adoptive mother to ten year old fraternal twins. While promoting her latest film she inadvertently becomes the subject of a tabloid scandal.

Despite this novel's promising premise, loving previous books by Frankel, as well as her easy reading, often comedic, lighthearted writing style, I just could not connect with this book. I get what Frankel is trying to do here - and appreciate it - that adoption isn't always a traumatic or shameful event - it just doesn't work for me.

The book seems to dismiss the fact that tragedy and trauma often do occur with adoption. The novel is told entirely from one positive point of view. The trauma that is shown is largely glossed over in favor of a story filled with rainbows, lollipops, and rays of sunshine positivity.

It's also highly unrealistic. While I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for a lot of things, I just couldn't here, it was too much.

The author's portrayal of the characters, particularly India's is hugely disappointing. It's not true to life. There's no real emotion shown behind her thought process regarding her decisions. While the author is an adoptive mother, she is neither an adoptee or a birth mother. She can't really speak to how either would actually feel. (For context, I talked with a family member of my own who placed a baby for adoption at that age.)

I know a lot of people will enjoy this book and that I'm in the minority on this one.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company, Laurie Frankel, and Netgalley for an advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and given voluntarily.

2 Stars

Recommended for readers of:
General Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Family Fiction, Book Club Reads

Family Family is a unique portrait of just how complicated family can be. Propelled by the efforts of young Fig, the band gets back together! And by the band I mean four children and 6 adults, all with the common denominator India Allwood - Hollywood and Broadway star.

I loved this book! I always enjoy reading family portraits and this book is full of quirky characters that invite you in and keep you hooked. I have never been interested in musicals, Broadway, or Hollywood, but still found myself captivated by the series of events. There is drama, romance, heartbreak, and really sensitive and difficult topics explored. Adoption is something I know little about and I really enjoyed reading a perspective about it that is different. I think that message was at the heart of the book - everything is not black and white and we can find beauty in seemingly tragic and difficult situations.

I will never see a pack of index cards in the same way again! I praise Laurie Frankel in not only creating a powerful book that can spark an alternative discussion regarding adoption, but in also sharing a bit about herself and her own experience as an adoptive mom. *Insert index card sprinkles here*

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley for an ARC of the beautiful book!

I absolutely adored this latest novel from Laurie Frankel. I loved the multiple points of view as well as the non-linear timeline, the later of which added an element of suspense to the story that kept me turning the pages. Frankel skillfully wove many separate threads together to form a beautiful whole. I appreciated the different perspectives brought to the sensitive issue of adoption and the nuance the characters insisted upon when discussing matters of choice and family. I also enjoyed the exploration of celebrity and what it means to be constantly under the microscope of the media and have consumers impress meaning upon your choices and statements when they rarely, if ever, have the whole story. This one will stay with me for a long time and I already can't wait to read what Frankel writes next.

I love writing five star reviews! This book is just so good. Charming, funny, touching, it checks all the boxes. I love exploring ideas of what makes a family and Laurie Frankel excels at challenging all of the “traditional” ways families are defined. India Allwood is a delight! I love her energy and enthusiasm to make sure everyone wins. I really appreciated this refreshing look at women’s choices when pregnant and positively presenting adoption as one of those choices. Please don’t skip the author’s note! Because of India, I now want to carry confetti in my pocket to celebrate all of the wins!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I mixed listening to an advanced listening copy (thank you Macmillan Audio) with reading an ARC (thank you Henry Holt Books!) because I felt the need to ingest this book as quickly as possible. All opinions are my own.
Family Family is about family (duh!), similar to Frankel’s previous books This Is How It Always Is and One Two Three. While continuing to explore the complications of family, this book focuses on adoption, both from the lens of families wanting to adopt and a person carrying a baby to term to be adopted. Adoption is approached in an authentic manner, not seen as only “a last resort, an imperfect way out of worse circumstances”. While I didn’t always understand the main character, India, I was able to respect her decisions and her love for her family (family). My other favorite quote isn’t upbeat, but I think its message rings true for many: “It turns out love is not all you need. It turns out love is not what makes a family.”
This is a character driven novel, and by the end there are many different characters, but they are introduced a few at a time to help the reader recognize each without confusion (even when some have the same first name 🤣). The storyline alternates seamlessly between the past and the present. It is a longer book (400 pages, almost 15 hours), but I was engaged throughout.
One especially awesome part of the audiobook is that it includes a 45 minute interview between Patti Murin, the excellent narrator (you may recognize her as narrating Katherine Center’s recent books, as well as many others - or as Anna in the Broadway musical Frozen), and Laurie Frankel, the author. I love hearing authors discuss their work, and it was even more interesting to hear what questions the two asked each other. Honestly, if you read the book in ARC format, I highly recommend checking out this interview when it publishes tomorrow because it added so much to my reading experience.

I went into Family Family by Laurie Frankel blind – and that is exactly what I recommend you do. I have long been a fan of Frankel’s work, so I trust her to take me where she needs me to go. Laurie Frankel has such a talent for writing about difficult scenarios in such a unique and heartfelt way. I was immediately drawn into the story and the differing timelines allowed me so many unforgettable a-ha moments.

Thank you to @netgalley and @henryholt for the ability to read Family Family before it releases.

Here is a bit of the synopsis:
Actress India Allwood’s new movie is a story based on adoption, but the spin of it is the same old tired story of tragedy. India is an adoptive mom herself, so she does something she should never do – she tells the journalist the truth; she thinks it is a bad movie. This puts her right at the center of a media storm; battling paparazzi and protesters. Her ten-year-old twins know they need help – and they know to call family. But what makes a family isn’t blood, or love; what makes a family is quite often complicated.

Adoption is a topic close to Laurie Frankel’s heart and you can feel that through her words. I found this book to be positive and uplifting. One of the things that made this a five-star read for me was how relatable and likable the characters are. All of them have little idiosyncrasies that allow them to shine and jump off the page. I enjoyed the twists I didn’t see coming and I could feel myself being fully absorbed in the book – laughing or nodding my head in agreement! Family Family is a story about choices, adoption, teen pregnancy, single parenting, and standing up for what you believe in. I can’t recommend this book enough!

Fam-tastic.

This is a story about adoption, but really, it’s a story about family. And family family, and the many shapes that can take. The characters were well-drawn and delightful, and the dialog and wordplay and insights throughout this dual-timeline tale were just *chef’s kiss.*

I started out switching back and forth between an ebook arc and an audiobook arc- because I didn’t want to have to wait to keep reading when I was on the go. But then I found out it was on the shelves early at B&N, and I jumped in the car and went and bought a copy- to read it that way, and because even halfway through, it was already clear to me that this would be going on my favorites shelf. Never mind that beautiful cover- it’s what’s inside that counts with this one. Highly recommend.

The audiobook was skillfully narrated by Patti Murin, and included an author’s note read by the author as well as a discussion between her and Murin.

Thank you Laurie Frankel, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Laurie Frankel states that her job is "to make things up in order to tell the truth." In Family Family, as in her other novels, she demonstrates her mastery of showing readers the truth, in all its imperfection, of living life in a family. I loved This Is How It Always Is and One Two Three, and was very excited to read this new novel--I can happily say that it is a wonderful celebration of families and all their configurations and combinations.

Family Family is an adoption story, and much, much more. The story itself took a little bit to get the hang of, since it takes place in part during a week in the present day, and partly in vignettes from India's past during which the reader learns about how India's family came to be, but once I got in the swing of it, I loved the stories and each of the characters. The message of acceptance for family choices, which gets India into hot water in the book, is an important one and I believe that this book (and Ms. Frankel's others) should be required reading for just about parent. As a parent, I find her books incredibly affirming, as the characters are fumbling through parenthood, just as I am.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Company for the digital ARC of Family Family by Laurie Frankel. The opinions in this review are my own.

A beautiful, well written story about love and adoption. Cried many tears. Love this author. Highly recommend!

I received an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
An incredibly, beautiful story that pulls you in immediately. I was emotionally invested by the first chapter with the characters and their stories. When finished with this book, I was in tears, yet smiling and thankful to have read such a wonderful book. Highly recommend and make sure to read the author’s note (tissues are encouraged).

As the adoptive mother of an adult child, I really loved the positive message of this book. India Allwood, the lead character, has both placed birth children for adoption and adopted children. She's now a famous actress whose every move attracts attention and the media. When she makes statements about a movie she's made about adoption, the social media world goes wild. This book show the good, the bad, the messy, the neat about families, with a focus on families formed through adoption. The characters are rich, the story deep and nuanced. I loved how the story flips from the present and then to the past to tell India's story. I couldn't put it down. This would be a great book club read, so much to discuss.

Thanks to Net Galley and Henry Holt Publishing for this ARC of Family Family in exchange for my honest review. Family Family is a novel with the central.topic of what makes a family. Family Family is a phrase said similarly as we would have in the 90s "you like him, but do you like like him?" The novel centers around India, a famous actress, and her story of placing children for adoption and receiving children through adoption. It is nice to see a story that discusses the nuance of adoption; which is neither good, nor bad, nor joyous, nor a last resort and desperate, but all those things and none of them.

The way the novel is told I can liken to watching a movie that knows it will be up for an Oscar. "I am important. I am complicated. This is real art." At times that tone was exhausting to get through. It influenced sentence structure and the way people talk. (Kind of like Dawson's Creek- do teenagers actually think and speak this way? Yes and no. But the children, teens, and adults alike had the same cadence and enigmatic and brilliant way of speaking, so...)

The story was beautiful, the characters rich. I was pulling for a happy ending for.many of them. And the reader got it and didn't. And the characters were happy and they weren't. And the book ended but with nothing tied up. Much like life, nothing easy, nothing pat, which is I guess what Frankel was going for. This was a good book. I'm glad I read it. It also sometimes felt self-important. But also maybe is an important look at things. There would definitely be a great book club discussion around this book. 3.75 stars if I could.

This story takes place in two timelines. In the past we meet India, a lovestruck teenager with big dreams of college in NYC and becoming an actress. In the present, most of India’s dreams have come true - a successful career on Broadway and then TV, and two beautiful children. But when the press wants to cancel India for a movie that portrays adoption in a certain light, she gets forcibly outed as someone who has had many related experiences and perhaps understands the issue(s) more than anybody knows. I was absolutely riveted by both timelines. Laurie Frankel has such a talent for writing realistic fiction and complex relationships and dynamics. She also writes children without making them seem childish which I feel like adds so strongly to the story. Beyond just writing about families, this book does a great job showing how individuals have experiences that don’t fit into neat and tidy narratives and it’s wrong to try to tell someone their lived experience isn’t valid just because it doesn’t fit popular or common narrative(s) around an issue. It also highlights the importance of making sure diverse stories get told and how much representation matters in media, be it books, films, tv, art and more.

I continue to enjoy how this author brings to the forefront nontraditional families and highlights them in the most wonderful way! Like the previous books I've read from Ms. Frankel, the characters are beautiful and unique, bringing a smile to my face at the things they do. As an adoptive mom, it was really refreshing to read an adoption story that wasn't all abuse and trauma. Yes there are plenty of those in real life but there are also plenty where everyone is able to grow up happy and enjoy a good life. There can be just as much abuse and trauma in biological families! Anyway, this is an ultimately feel good book that may help you rethink your idea of what a family actually is and how you interact with your own family.

(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘺𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥) 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 by Laurie Frankel got its seeds from the same place most of her books do. Her own life. This is a story of adoption and adoptive families in all their many forms. More specifically it calls out how the most common narratives around adoption only speak to a small portion of what adoptive families truly look like. This is a story that both educates and entertains. ⁣⁣
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At its center is a young woman, India, who at 16 finds herself both pregnant and accepted to the theater college of her dreams. Where most girls would be distraught, India sees both as a gift. One she will get for herself and the other she can give to someone else whose heart’s desire is a child. From there the story goes on around India’s career and her continued involvement with children and adoption. A few parts get a little out there, but all in support of a great message.⁣⁣
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The educational side, brings the reader to look at issues of adoption and adoptive families in new ways that really aren’t all that new. Frankel herself summed it up best in her afterward:⁣⁣
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“𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴: 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 “𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭” 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺.”⁣⁣
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No matter how we arrive at it or how it may look from the outside, we’re all just family family. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️