Familia
A Riveting and Unforgettable Novel of Sisterhood
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4.3 • 90 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"A masterfully woven tale of mystery, reconciliation, and familial love." –Abby Jimenez, New York Times Bestselling Author
Readers of Olga Dies Dreaming and fans of Julia Alvarez will be captivated by this spellbinding story told from multiple perspectives and spanning a generation, as a baffling genealogy test connects two young women across cultures and class and sets in motion the events that might unravel a decades-old crime at last.
"With every turn of the page, readers are drawn to exploring the complexities that bind every person to their roots, celebrating the tenacious pursuit of identity." –LA Times
Book of the Month Club Add-On Selection | GoodReads Readers' Most Anticipated Books | The Daily Mail Best New Books | Indie Next Pick | LibraryReads Selection | GoodReads The Fall Books Goodreads Editors Can't Wait to Read | Library Journal Fall Book Preview, The Titles to Read in 2023
What if your most basic beliefs about your life were suddenly revealed to be a lie?
As the fact checker for a popular magazine, Gabby DiMarco believes in absolute, verifiable Truths—until they throw the facts of her own life into question. The genealogy test she took as research for an article has yielded a baffling result: Gabby has a sister—one who’s been desperately trying to find her. Except, as Gabby’s beloved parents would confirm if they were still alive, that’s impossible.
Isabella Ruiz can still picture the face of her baby sister, who disappeared from the streets of San Juan twenty-five years ago. Isabella, an artist, has fought hard for the stable home and loving marriage she has today—yet the longing to find Marianna has never left. At last, she’s found a match, and Gabby has agreed to come to Puerto Rico.
But Gabby, as defensive and cautious as Isabella is impulsive, offers no happy reunion. She insists there’s been a mistake. And Isabella realizes that even if this woman is her sister, she may not want to be.
With nothing—or perhaps so much—in common, Gabby and Isabella set out to find the truth, though it means risking everything they’ve known for an uncertain future—and a past that harbors yet more surprises . . .
"A compulsive story with engaging characters that hooked me from the start. This is a must read!" –Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post & Bestselling Author
"Lauren Rico’s FAMILIA has it all. By page 30, I would have walked on coals to finish reading this story." –Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean
"An absolute delight. I couldn't stop turning the pages." –KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Chicken Sisters (A Reese's Book Club Pick)
“A moving story about the bonds of sisterhood and unraveling the mysteries of your past. A wonderful debut!” –Annette Chavez Macias, bestselling author of Big Chicas Don’t Cry
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A genealogy test turns a young journalist’s life upside down in this powerful novel about the power—and limits—of family ties. Gabby, a fact-checker at an upscale magazine, hopes that completing a DNA kit will connect her with long-lost relatives, but she gets more than she bargained for when a stranger named Isabella claims to be her sister. Author Lauren Rico immediately hooks us into this compelling, emotionally complex story as Gabby travels to Puerto Rico to meet Isabella, uncovering a decades-old crime that tests her belief in the strength of family bonds. By using different viewpoints to tell the story, Rico brilliantly fills in the picture of a family in disarray and their struggles to stay together even through tragedy and loss. Familia is a thoughtful story about what it means to be related to another.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rico (Solo) dazzles with a surprising story of the pleasures and pitfalls of amateur genealogy. Gabby DiMarco, 25, is working as a fact-checker at a prominent Manhattan magazine when her boss orders all employees to take a genealogy test for a potential story. An only child of two loving parents, Gabby hopes to find an unexpected cousin or two. A parallel narrative set in San Juan, Puerto Rico, follows a 30-something woman named Isabella Ruíz whose younger sister, Marianna, was kidnapped as an infant by a local gang leader whom their father owed money to. Isabella, who was five at the time of the kidnapping, and whose mother died giving birth to Marianna, was overwhelmed with guilt because she had recently wished her sister would disappear. That guilt defines the next two decades of her life as she attempts to locate Marianna. When Gabby surfaces as a potential connection on an ancestry site, Isabella contacts her, believing she's Marianna, though Gabby has her doubts. Rico perfectly portrays the possible sisters' fraught relationship through a series of surprising twists and turns. This skillful tale enchants.
Customer Reviews
Overall, it’s good
I really enjoyed this book! I found the ending very shocking but glad it ended the way it did.
*SPOILER ALERT*
I wish everyone had just told Isabella the truth from the beginning. It would have saved her from this unnecessary heartbreak that thankfully helped her and Gabby understand each other. At times, Isabella was getting irritating to me. Her constant snarky comments/remarks towards Gabby was very unnecessary. I know she was struggling for many years with guilt but why would you act this way once you have Gabby in front of her. It’s not her fault that everyone around her lied to her. Gabby was the youngest yet acted more mature than Isabella. Other than that, I think this is great read for those that like suspense! Definitely recommend 😌
Great Read, kept me hooked
Great book. Kept me hooked from the first day.
Was this written by a teenager?
Started out promising. The writing was so immature and simplistic. I scanned through the 2nd half.