India Allwood is a famous actor so naturally it is a big deal when she says the movie she was in was bad. This leads to an unfurling of events that reveal how India came to be who she is but also what it means to be family.

This one started a little slow for me, but it picked up once Davis showed up. I love how Frankel crafted all the relationships and how they grew as they spent time with each other. I want to imagine now they have giant family reunions. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as This Is How It Always Is, but I loved that one so much it is hard to compare. I did up enjoying this one a lot too though.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 - “Regardless of how they get made, family is a force to be reckoned with.”

This story has so many layers, and while it did take me a little to get into it, but once I did I was engrossed in this incredible depiction of adoption. We follow India through the past and present, and her pregnancies where she placed the babies up for adoption. There are these deep discussions of the reasoning for her decision and how that affects her later on in life. India is an incredible protagonist who has such a distinct personality from the beginning. She knows who she is and what she believes.

In the present, she starred in a movie that depicts the same tired story about adoption. India agrees with some of the criticism since she’s had adoption experience, though the general public doesn’t know that. India’s ten-year-old twins are really fun to read, despite the traumas that brought them to her. They just want her to be ok, and I really loved the relationship they have with India. It's also heartwarming to see how Jack and Fig ended up with India and how she handles their PTSD from their previous family. They're enrolled in therapy and India is so committed to helping them.

Reading Laurie Frankel's author's note and her unique perspective on adoption is so interesting and informative. As an adoptive mother herself, she is equipped to write about these issues from a personal standpoint.

I really loved this book and how it balances harsh realities of adoption with more lighthearted and funny moments. It’s unique and definitely worth checking out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review.
India Allwood is a highly successful, well-known actress who has just finished a film about adoption – a subject she is well versed in. But she’s disappointed in the film, and lets it be known.
“Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don’t we get that movie?”
Having been adopted many decades ago, I understand her perspective. While nothing is perfect, my life was not filled with pain and regret. I wouldn’t trade my family or upbringing for anything in the world.
But I also understand the questions raised and issues addressed in what is, overall, a well-written story about families. They come in all shapes and sizes – some conventional but many not – and each is as likely to be fraught with trauma, heartache and happiness as the next.
India has placed two children for adoption – one when she was a pregnant teenager just getting ready to graduate high school, the other as a college senior. Several years later, as her acting career is poised to kick into high gear, she adopts (rescues is the more appropriate term) four-year-old twins from a horribly abusive household.
The narrative, which alternates between present time and India’s high school, college, and early acting career years, introduces us to a wide range of interesting and colorful characters.
• Robbie, her high school sweetheart and first love
• Camille, the single woman who adopts India’s and Robbie’s daughter
• Davis, India’s college boyfriend
• The Andrews, a gay couple who adopt India’s and Drew’s son
• Fig and Jack, the twins India adopts
• Rebecca and Lewis, the daughter and son India placed for adoption
India’s non-supportive comments about the newly released film spark a firestorm not just among executives at the studio, but across social media. She is slammed by protesters on the right and advocates on the left. Her 10-year-old twins, Fig and Jack, decide their mother needs help, so they call on family.
This, in my opinion, is where the storyline and character actions become a bit unrealistic. For example, the twins find Rebecca through social media and convince her that her presence would help their mother, so the 16-year-old jumps on a plane and flies into town. Soon after Fig (remember, she’s only 10-years old) locates the Andrews couple and, via a phone call, convinces them and their son, Lewis, they’re needed for a potential medical emergency, to which they fly across country without even questioning India.
Questions abound. Would a parent (India) really tell her adolescent children not only that she had previously placed two children for adoption, but offered up their names? And would adoptive parents tell their adopted child everything (full names included) about their birth parents? Can a 16-year old purchase a plane ticket (apparently she swiped her mother’s credit card) and leave town without being noticed? How gullible is an adult who gets a phone call from a 10-year old he never met and immediately takes the whole family across country? I have 10-year-old grandchildren. They’re great, but they could never pull off such a rouse.
Family Family provides important insight into adoption, and is an easy read that – other than the bumps in the road I raised above – flows smoothly from cover to cover. I give it 3.5 stars, which will be rounded up to 4.

My review will also appear on my blog review site, Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading) on Thursday, January 11.

Laurie Frankel is a favorite author of mine for a reason: she embraces important themes on family, identity, and love and runs with them in ways that resonate with me. Family Family made me feel seen as an adoptive parent who tends to hate most books that talk about adoption from a uninformed and indeed trauma only perspective. Adoption can be traumatic, of course, and no one denies that... but what Frankel is able to do is use adoption friendly language for once and gives readers a story that really embraces the idea that adoption is filled with love and hope and intentionality that matters (avoiding the "gave up for" language in lieu of how we talk to today about adoption, avoiding my hated tropes of adopted youth as experiencing enduring unresolved hardship/being serial killers. etc etc).

I hope many will read this, talk about it, listen to all of the adoption stories, seek out ways to be more or differently informed about adoption and all of the stories and perspectives involved in adoption stories, and just celebrate another powerful read from a great author. Please do read her own note to readers as well and the wonderful dedication page.

Laurie Frankel's voice, her characters, her love for her stories and her characters will also stick with me, I was a fan before this wonderful book and this book just confirms my respect for her as a writer, mother, advocate and ally, and all around kind human being.

A oft untold story about adoption, with the central thesis shirking other tales that adoption is all trauma or all sunshine. The banter is witty and the chapters are written in a way that makes you always say - just one more. There are some plot points that require you to suspend disbelief, but overall it’s a well-developed story.

I think this one will make an excellent book club pick with much to discuss.

Even in high school, India Allwood knew that she would be a great stage actor one day. So what if she couldn't sing, not all Broadway hit shows are musicals, are they? And India was certain that nothing could - or should - keep her from achieving her dream, not even giving birth to a baby girl during her senior year. So after helping to choose an adoptive mother for her daughter, it was off to New York to attend the prestigious Lenox University School of Dramatic Arts where history repeated itself. This time just before graduation India gave birth to a son for whom she picked out what she believed would be wonderful parents for him.

In the present day, India Allwood is a TV superstar with two adopted children of her own and a hit TV series that gives her the opportunity to star in a movie about a subject dear to her: adoption. India believes that too many books, movies, and TV shows portray adoptions as tragedies for all involved, and having experienced it herself now from both sides of the adoption equation, she wants to change the narrative by making a movie with a more positive message about the experience. Unfortunately, India admits out loud one day to an interviewer that the movie itself is not really very good. And now she is receiving criticism not only from studio executives afraid that she has killed the movie's prospects, but from some who want to hear a stronger pro-choice message from her and others who want to hear a stronger pro-life message. India is learning quickly that is impossible to appease those on both sides of that argument at the same time.

It surely cannot get more complicated than that. Oh, but it does.

First Rebecca, India's 16-year-old biological daughter decides to come to India's rescue via a TikTok video that immediately goes viral. Then her adopted twins, Fig and Jack (especially Fig who loves the idea of having an older sister), team up with Rebecca to enlist India's biological son, Lewis, to the cause. Well, you get the idea. Suddenly, India has more support than she can handle: her four children, Rebecca's adoptive mother, Lewis's two adoptive fathers, Rebecca's biological father, and Lewis's biological father. Keeping up?

No longer does being cancelled from her chosen career seem to be the most important thing in India's world. She and her bunch are about to figure out that you don't have to share blood to be family, that you don't have to be family family in order to be part of a family.

Unfortunately, this very worthy message seems a little heavy-handed at times, and even my favorite characters never quite seem real. Because of its quirky characters Family Family reads more like comedy than drama, and somehow that serves to lessen the impact of the book's message about the infinite number of ways that a family can be formed. This is one of those books I wanted to like a lot more than I ended up liking it.

Great, important topic(s) but for me the writing style didn't work. The repetitive reminding nature of what was coming didn't live up to what I was anticipating. Overall, it was ok. Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an early e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Family Family will be available on 1/23/24.

Heartwarming novel about the far reaching, valuable effects of adoption for one diverse and unconventional family. Oh my god these characters were insufferable. Lots of manic pixie dream girl energy and everyone was so *quirky*. One character carries torn up paper in her pockets at all time to use as confetti… I rest my case. But I liked the message here and completely understand the need for positive stories with adoption representation.

Overall, this one was a miss for me though I suspect this will be a minority opinion. I appreciated the idea behind the novel and its attempt to put a more loving, inclusive, positive lens on adoption stories. But to me, the tone was a bit too jokey to address what is still a serious topic and the banter didn't strike me as realistic. My tastes probably veer a little grittier than others though, and I"m sure this title will be popular.

A joyous celebration of what it means to be a family with an engaging story. I could not put this book down, as I had completely fallen in love with the characters and their ever-expanding family. I also really enjoyed the theatre/acting backstory as an actor myself- similar to the main character, I am also an actor who doesn’t sing, and I loved reading about her forays into Ibsen and Shakespeare. Overall a very sweet story with beautiful representation and an important message to share about adoption.

This book was good. Slow at the start and long in some parts. I'm excited that I finished the whole thing. I need some confetti to throw in the air. 😉
A story of adoption and family. India is a famous actress who has a movie about adoption. The media doesn't like it and India makes a comment and it blows up everything. Dual timelines, India growing up and now.

I have fallen in love with each of Laurie Frankel’s novels; she selects a unique plot to immerse her delightful characters into. It’s her characters and their unique perspectives that create memorable stories; “Family Family” is no exception.

Actress India Allwood finds herself at odds because her latest movie doesn’t portray adoption accurately, and she shares such thoughts in an interview. As an adoptive mother to twins with her own secrets to shelter, India knows a family can be defined by much more than biological ties. But speaking out means her own past may be revealed.

Told in alternating timelines, “Family Family” grapples with tough subjects while maintaining wit and hope. Adoption is a tricky issue that is often stereotyped in a lot of fiction, so I appreciated this more realistic narrative. Though the book was slow to get into, once you get into the story, you cannot put it down.

I highly recommend “Family Family” to anyone who wishes to read a fresh perspective on how family can be defined.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to Net Galley, Laurie Frankel and the publisher for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

India Allwood is one of the most famous actresses in the world. After a successful early career in Broadway, she is now the star of a hit television show. She also recently stared in a movie about adoption. An adoptive mother herself, she is not entirely comfortable with the movie's storyline. When she shares her views about the movie with a journalist, she sets off a media frenzy, which she only makes worse with subsequent statements. Suddenly, India goes from a much beloved star to someone who has angered just about everyone. In an effort to help her mother, India's 10 year-old daughter reaches out to another member of her family -- one that comes as a surprise not just to India but to the wider world and creates a whole new set of challenges.

This was a great book -- well written, full of indelible characters, and with an engaging and often surprising story that explores timely themes around family, ambition, and connection.

Highly recommended.

A beautiful story and an important perspective. I have many close family friends who chose adoption as their first choice, and I was excited to share this with them. Messy, real, genuine, quirky, and likeable characters. I really enjoyed it.

4.25/5

Thank you to NetGalley, author Laurie Frankel, and Henry Holt and Co for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I read This is How it Always is by Laurie Frankel two years ago, and it was one of my favorite books of the year. In fact, I still find myself thinking of it from time to time, which is a rarity given how many books I consume on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis. Family Family is going to be no different, and I'm thrilled I was able to start off 2024 by reading this masterpiece. This is a complex story with lots of characters and big topics that gets a little long-winded and talks in circles sometimes, but all of that is forgiven due to the sheer beauty in Frankel's prose and character development. I cannot begin to say how much I loved every single character but especially India, Bex, and Fig. There is so much heart and life and love within these pages, and I think it is an important take on an adoption story. Reading Frankel's author's note at the end and seeing how much of her personal experience she once again embedded in the book made me respect it even more. As someone who has always felt led to adoption if I choose to have children, this book gave me a lot to reflect on. I was able to relate to India in a lot of ways, and I liked that Frankel chose to follow her story across the years. Telling it in tandem with the chaos in present-day was a smart move in order to best understand all characters and never confusing to follow. I am even more driven now to read Frankel's back catalog, and I already can't wait to read this one again.

I first read Laurie Frankels “This is How it Always is” and was floored by the accurate portrayal of the joys and trials of parenting.

In “Family Family” I am again awed by her ability to display the complicated relationship dynamics of family and what makes people family.

The plot was a bit fantastical at times in terms of the likely hood it would actually happen. The characters were over the top. And I loved every minute.

I have a feeling Bex, India, Fig, Jack, Davis , Robbie, the Drews, Lewis and Celeste will stick with me for a long time.

Laurie Frankel has a gift for framing complex social issues in a way that encourages examining traditional perspectives. In Family Family she combines sharp dialogue and quirky characterizations to craft a story focused on adoption. It’s becomes so much more as it looks at how families are built, how they shift over time, and how they endure.

This is India Allwood’s story. As a child she dreamed of being an actress. She follows her dreams to Hollywood where she stars in a movie which paints a dark picture of adoption. India, an adoptive mom, gets herself in trouble by admitting that the movie is neither good nor accurate. She finds herself at the center of a storm which is spiraling out of control. It’s time for her family, in all its messy unconventional forms, to come to her rescue.

I love Frankel’s characters. They’re warm, funny, flawed, and endearing. They’re complicated and nuanced and stay with you long after the final chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am an adoptive parent so the premise of this novel interested me right away! It tells the story of India Allwood a famous actress and adoptive mother who finds herself in a mess of trouble when she voices her opinion on her new movie, about what else…adoption! India is tired of the same old take on movies involving adoption: tragedy, pain and regret. Not all adoption stories are tragedies. “Why don’t we ever get that movie?” India asks.
The novel is told in a dual timeline as we follow India in present day and as she grows through her teenage years to the present. I enjoyed following her rise to stardom despite (or perhaps because of) two challenging life events and the people she meets along the way. The characters were interesting and the dialogue fun! The setting is both the NYC theatre world and Hollywood which kept me intrigued. The novel does challenge many preconceived notions of adoption and addresses the process quite well I think. It looks at what makes family family, and I could relate to so much of the story line. Frankel writes from experience as she is an adoptive parent herself and did a really great job of giving depth and emotion to all involved in the process; from adopters, birthmothers, the adoptees, and birthfathers who are often left out of the process altogether. I found their perspectives especially enlightening. I think anyone curious about or involved in some way with adoption would enjoy this novel as would those who like a story about family dynamics told through an honest and open outlook with warmth and humor. Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Co. for the chance to read Family Family.

I absolutely love Laurie Frankel's writing and this book is no exception. It has been a long time since I read a book that I truly could not put down, but this one was so gripping I just had to keep going. The way she bounces between timelines made me so eager to keep reading and find out what happens next in each one. All the characters were lovable, but something about the way Frankel writes children is just so endearing. I loved the chapters from the perspectives of the kids, which is not typically the case for me. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Based on the synopsis, I expected to love this book but it turned out to be poorly written with little to no character development and I had to force myself to finish it.