Any Other Family
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3.8 • 49 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
The New York Times bestselling author of The Weird Sisters returns with a striking and intimate new novel about three very different adoptive mothers who face the impossible question: What makes a family?
Though they look like any other family, they aren’t one—not quite. They are three sets of parents who find themselves intertwined after adopting four biological siblings, having committed to keeping the children as connected as possible.
At the heart of the family, the adoptive mothers grapple to define themselves and their new roles. Tabitha, who adopted the twins, crowns herself planner of the group, responsible for endless playdates and holidays, determined to create a perfect happy family. Quiet and steady Ginger, single mother to the eldest daughter, is wary of the way these complicated not-fully-family relationships test her long held boundaries. And Elizabeth, still reeling from rounds of failed IVF, is terrified that her unhappiness after adopting a newborn means she was not meant to be a mother at all.
As they set out on their first family vacation, all three are pushed into uncomfortably close quarters. And when they receive a call from their children’s birth mother announcing she is pregnant again, the delicate bonds the women are struggling to form threaten to collapse as they each must consider how a family is found and formed.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Brown's rewarding latest (after The Light of Paris), two Denver couples and a single mother adopt four biological siblings and attempt to keep the children connected through a blended kinship. The three families are on vacation together in Aspen, Colo., for two weeks when the children's birth mother, 24-year-old Brianna, calls to say she is pregnant again. Tensions have already started flaring among the three adoptive mothers. Tabitha Basnight, mother of the twins Taylor and Tate, presides over the group's frequent get-togethers and is clumsy with personal boundaries. Introverted single mother Ginger Kowalski, who adopted fifth grader Phoebe, the oldest sibling, after Brianna's grandmother died, manages Tabitha's controlling nature by not living nearby. Sleep-deprived and financially stressed Elizabeth Evans adopted Violet, a colicky baby, after years of unsuccessful fertility treatments. The close quarters in Aspen contribute to a dramatic airing of long-simmering resentments toward Tabitha, which threatens to upset the arrangement. Though Brianna is painted only as irresponsible and immature (and comes across as narratively convenient) Brown has a sure hand in portraying the adoptive women; their smart, lively dialogue sparks as the characters try to define the boundaries of a family. Overall, Brown entertains with her colorful cast and engaging conceit.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyable
I enjoyed the book. Thought provoking
cant wait for more by this author
This was a very good read. It’s about a family that began with 3 siblings and a mother who couldn’t raise them. They were placed in care but in a unique twist were adopted into separate homes by a woman and a couple. Nobody wanted to deprive the children of their siblings or their birth mother so it is an open adoption. They all get together once a week for dinner. When the bio mom has another child, it too is adopted and the new family is brought into the existing family. When they decide to take a two week vacation together, the fun starts! Have you ever vacationed with your family? Everybody is unique. Some family members will argue, you might scream, sides are picked but in the end it all works out. After all you’ve known each other all your life-you know everyone’s foibles- but it’s family. This family doesn’t have those bonds so what happens when they disagree? Drama happens. While I really enjoyed this book, I want/need to say “what’s up with a mother who just keeps having babies that she doesn’t want to take care of?” Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the ARC in the form of a kindle book in exchange for an honest review.