Good read. As an adoptive mother, I've learned about the many faces of adoption, both positive and negative. Recommend this book.

Laurie Frankel’s Family Family is a heartwarming and complex novel that explores the intricacies of adoption and what it truly means to be a family. The protagonist, India Allwood, is an actress who, despite her glamorous career, finds herself thrust into a media storm after she speaks out against the portrayal of adoption in a film she's working on. The story beautifully weaves through India’s real-life experiences as an adoptive mother of twins, Fig and Jack, showcasing that adoption is not just a tale of trauma or sadness, but also one of love, connection, and sometimes messiness.

What I really enjoyed about this novel was how Frankel sheds light on the realities of adoptive families, portraying adoption with nuance rather than falling into the stereotypes we often see in media. India’s journey as a mother navigating the press, the public, and even family dynamics adds humor and poignancy to the story. Frankel’s writing is engaging, filled with witty dialogue, and offers a refreshing take on what makes a family – not blood, not just love, but the effort and commitment to stay together through the good and the bad.

The novel stands out because it acknowledges that family, in whatever form it comes, is inherently complicated. It’s the kind of book that will leave you reflecting on the many forms family can take, while also keeping you entertained with India’s boldness and the endearing, chaotic nature of her family life.

I would highly recommend Family Family to anyone interested in contemporary fiction that touches on adoption, parenthood, and the evolving meaning of family in modern society. Laurie Frankel delivers a rich, thought-provoking narrative that both challenges and uplifts the reader. Whether you’ve read her other works or are new to her writing, this book will leave an impression.

If you’re looking for a mix of humor, heart, and an authentic portrayal of family, this is a novel you shouldn’t miss!

Loved this book. This author is an must read for me after this and 'this is how it always is'. The way each chapter ends on a cliff hanger big or small....kept me reading past my bedtime!

You know one of those books where you start reading and just can’t put them away to take care of your adult responsibilities? FAMILY FAMILY by Laurie Frankel is one such contemporary read.


Full review on my blog

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was such a heartwarming and compelling read! I love a good blended family story and this one totally hit the mark. The storyline was terrific and the characters relatable and enjoyable. Highly recommend and looking forward to more from Laurie Frankel

This was so close in being a great book for me. An adoption story, acknowledging adoption trauma however I think it missed on the adoptee's point of view and their experience, that is what we are really missing! The beginning of this novel was strong, we me highlighting passages and tearing up but as it progressed it seemed to go in circles. Not for me but I think others will find it well written.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Laurie Frankel is highly enjoyable. This one kept me on the edge of the seat and turning the pages. I recommend for a good autumn vibes read!

I just adore Laurie Frankel. Tender and thoughtful while simultaneously compelling enough to keep me flipping pages. Even when I don't find the plot particularly compelling, I always end up loving it.

Loved this family story. The characters were well drawn and made me want to live in this world. A good contempary family story that explores what makes a family family.

Family Family is a beautiful novel about how adoption need not always be tragic -- it can be joyous. While some of the situations in the book are heart-rending, the dialogue is always sparkling and hilarious. India's family grows and grows throughout the course of a PR nightmare, and readers will love every member of this family.

One potential detraction from the book might be its length. I felt my interest wane at points when new characters were being introduced late in the game. I had been prepared for this by another reviewer, and I'm glad I knew in advance.

If you are looking for an uplifting contemporary novel that is family-affirming, I highly recommend this novel.

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the free copy of this book. My apologies to them and to myself as well for taking so long to read it. This review reflects my honest opinions.

This review will be posted to Goodreads on August 15, 2024.

Love an adoption story that breaks the mold. Lots of amazing representation here..the humor was a fun addition that wasn’t needed but made a difference!

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book. I love, love, loved it!! Means everything. As part of an adoptive family it was wonderful to see the other side. And that adoptive children can grow up in loving families and enjoy rich lives. And that people have choices - and what is right for one is not right for everyone - and that the choice might be different depending on timing. Highly recommend.

This book is absolutely everything I hoped it would be and all that I didn’t even know I wanted it to be - from the language to the plot points to the characters and the feelings. There were times I laughed, others when I wanted to cry, but mostly I {as a birthmother} felt so seen in a way I haven’t yet in novels.

“It was possible to lose but not be lost, to be sad without wishing things were other than they were.”

“I didn’t want anything. Or, really, I wanted everything.”

This is a story centering adoption in multiple ways, a variety of mothers and mothering, and even more it’s ONE STORY. It’s messy and complex and full of relationships and people and so much love. Laurie Frankel has a gift for writing families who are so real that you feel certain you know them.

🎧 FAMILY FAMILY by Laurie Frankel
Genre: contemporary fiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️
💭: i liked the concept but i didn’t feel that it had anything really gripping about it to keep me invested or engaged. Not awful but not a love.

I loved every page of this book. The characters are delicious. The writing clever and evocative. The plot and the characters artfully weave around and through a complex issue with meaning, nuance, humor and grace. Another 5-star book from Laurie Frankel.

I love what it says about family.

“They were entangled, not like extension cords you’d thrown in a pile in the garage and when you needed one you had to spend forty-five minutes unknotting it from the others first. They were entangled like fibers woven into threads spun into yarn knit into patches bound to quilts worn into heirlooms, something to pass down, to pass on, to inherit.”

Also:

“But mostly, Fig is right. More is more. Family doesn’t take away from family. Family begets family. That’s how family works. “What’s begets?” Jack leaned over to Andy. Andy bent and whispered in his ear. “Gross,” said Jack.”

I love what it says about womanhood and about life..

“It was possible to lose but not be lost, to be sad without wishing things were other than they were. It seemed to her that women did this all the time, weathered things that were hard and heartbreaking but also chosen and even strived for. It seemed to her they often made tough decisions to let go, to lay down, in order to pick up something else because they knew - maybe in their bones, maybe having learned it again and again - that having all the things you wanted all at the same time was rarely on the table.”

I might have to adopt the confetti tradition from India that sprinkles delight throughout this story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one started very promising to me. I enjoyed the storyline reading adoption and what makes a family. I also enjoyed the dual timelines and learning more about India’s backstory.

The only real issue I had is that this seemed a tad longer than it needed to be. It felt like a somewhat abrupt ending as well.

Laurie Frankel is an amazing writer. I started this book around 5pm one evening and had to hide it before bedtime because I knew if I got in my cozy bed and started reading I wouldn't stop until I finished. I loved each character, especially Davis and Robbie. I appreciated how hard India worked at everything that came before her. The dialogue was entertaining and I found myself chuckling to myself at times and at other times tearing up.

Family Family is such an experience to read. Frankel is so good at keeping the narrative moving and making us fall in love with her characters. I loved Fig and Lewis the most but they were all endearing and complex. While this was definitely a book with a strong message, and bordered on being a bit too forthcoming at the very end, it was nonetheless beautiful and as I loved the theme and the message the author was sending, I didn’t mind in the slightest. Joyous and bittersweet, this novel is one I will remember. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc!

Everything Laurie Frankel writes is absolute gold. Her characters are quirky and interesting yet still believable, her dialogue is funny yet poignant, and her stories stick with you long after you've read them. Family Family is an homage to adoption, a love letter to all those involved in adoption, parents and children alike. In fact, it is a love letter to all families. Laurie Frankel spoke to our book club, and she was a delight. This book is a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This story was well written. Well developed characters. I really could relate to the story and enjoyed the perspective. Enjoyed discussing with my book club!