Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Eleanor Brown - 5 stars!
Family means many different things. In this family, four children of Briana, unable or unwilling to raise them, are adopted by three different families after Briana's mother, who had been raising the children, died. Ginger, single, has the oldest sibling; Tabitha and Peter, raising the twins; and Elizabeth and John, the baby. All three families are determined to be part of a larger family so that the siblings will always be close and stay as close to Brianna as she wants. So holidays, birthdays, Sunday dinners are a must on all their calendars. When on their first big family vacation together, Briana calls to announce that she is again pregnant and hopes that Elizabeth and John will also take the new baby, the family is thrown into turmoil.
I really loved this book - I loved the views that motherhood is hard, that women feel judged by how they mother, how women don't ask for help or offer help that may not be wanted. You will see parts of yourself in all these women in their struggles and triumphs. This is also a very positive look at open adoption (be sure to read the author's note) and the struggles of infertility. The chapters are interspersed with letters written by hopeful prospective adoptive parents, again showcasing that family can look very different. It's serious, it's funny, and I loved these characters, real, flawed and hopeful!
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