Family Family

A Novel

By: Laurie Frankel

Narrated by: Laurie Frankel, Patti Murin

Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

This program includes an author's note read by the author and a conversation between the author and Audie Award-winning narrator Patti Murin.

"Murin guarantees Frankel’s story is impeccably, convincingly, utterly heard. A creative process-illuminating author/narrator 'geeking out' interview provides a delightful aural bonus."—Booklist

​“Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don’t we ever get that movie?”

India Allwood grew up wanting to be an actor. Armed with a stack of index cards (for research/line memorization/make-shift confetti), she goes from awkward sixteen-year-old to Broadway ingenue to TV superhero.

Her new movie is a prestige picture about adoption, but its spin is the same old tired story of tragedy. India is an adoptive mom in real life though. She wants everyone to know there’s more to her family than pain and regret. So she does something you should never do—she tells a journalist the truth: it’s a bad movie.

Soon she’s at the center of a media storm, battling accusations from the press and the paparazzi, from protesters on the right and advocates on the left. Her twin ten-year-olds know they need help–and who better to call than family? But that’s where it gets really messy because India’s not just an adoptive mother…

The one thing she knows for sure is what makes a family isn’t blood. And it isn’t love. No matter how they’re formed, the truth about family is this: it's complicated.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2024 Laurie Frankel (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Frankel has written a funny, heart-wrenching, deeply personal story about the meaning of family and holding fast to one’s beliefs. India is the star of Frankel’s novel, but the supporting characters are warm and vibrant, each getting their own opportunity to shine. Highly recommended for fans of Frankel and those who enjoy literary fiction featuring witty dialogue and thought-provoking topics."—Library Journal (starred)

"...Frankel offers a hilarious and sobering view of adoptive parenting through her portrayals of the cheerful and honest India and Rebecca’s open-minded adoptive mother...this is great fun."—Publishers Weekly

"Frankel finds the truth of modern family within the sparkly, funny characters."—Booklist

What is a real Family?

Laurie Frankel is always a sure bet. This book is just as lovely as her others.

This time we're talking adoption. All kinds of adoptions! This book explores family of choice and family of blood, and it is delightful.

Complex Family

I really like Laurie Frankel's voice and her compelling family stories.
What is and constitutes family?
The emotions, sentiments expressed here feel real and relatable.

Best book of the year

I had no expectations for this book but I found it quickly became a favorite. It has very engaging characters who are funny and smart in all the right ways. The topics are thought provoking yet I also found myself laughing out loud several times. Super enjoyable. Get it!

The Adoption Triangle

Loved hearing all the sides of adoption, woven into an interesting plot with complex characters. Love Laurie Frankel’s storytelling❣️

Couldn’t stop listening

Loved everything about this book. Moving, funny, heartwarming. Great story and a terrific job by the narrator!

Murin is a narrative genius

I found this book searching for performances by Patti Murin. She is amazing and creates such depth in the characters. This book was a 5 star treasure. Until the end. We'd spent hours digging into backstory, character and plot development, foreshadowing, only to have the last moments tied up quickly and ineffectively. I love to want more from my favorite authors, but this ending was so abrupt that I thought I had missed a chapter. If this is Frankel's usual style, I will likely not look for more of her works.

Book of banter

This is a good story and it is well narrated. I enjoyed it, but having said that, I had one issue with it. In my opinion, banter is fun, but if it goes on for too long, it's exhausting. This entire story was told with the tone of endless banter. I would still recommend it, especially if your life has been touched by adoption in ANY way.

Frankel does it again!

I became a huge Laurie Frankel fan after reading her debut, “This is How it Always Is”. She made me understand the complex issues that parents of children who strongly identify with a gender that differs from their birth gender have. I also enjoyed her “One Two Three” which highlighted the life of triplet daughters, two with disabilities, of a single mother. Frankel illuminates the various types of families marvelously. In “Family Family”, Frankel writes from experience, much like her debut, only this time about adoption.

Not all adoptions are a result of trauma. And being adopted doesn’t necessarily mean you were unwanted. In a cleverly written story, Frankel writes a positive adoption story. Not only is the narrative witty and laugh-out-loud funny, Frankel makes some impressive points about adoption and our society’s opinions/impressions on adoption. Through her main character, India Allwood, she presents various adoption stories. And she points out that no child “chooses” their parents, whether the child is adopted or not. Why is adoption viewed as a concession to a child living with their birth parents?

Furthermore, she explores how our society talks to or questions adopted children. Yikes! Through her story, she proves that adopted children need to see positive representation of adoption stories, especially in novels. I can think of many sad stories involving orphanages and the trauma of adoption, or the trauma leading up to adoption; not so many of positive adoption outcomes.

Frankel also makes us expand our view of family. She uses the children to voice their feelings, complicated as they may be, as to what family is. And the children…so funny!!

This is a story that is culturally relevant. Frankel is amazing at exploring and providing insight into differing families. As one child states, “Regardless of how they get made, family is a force to be reckoned with.” This is a story that will leave you smiling, and it might make you contemplate your own views of adoption.

Bravo Ms. Frankel, Bravo!

I chose to listen to the audio, 14 hours and 57 minutes of total enjoyment, narrated beautifully by Patti Murin and Laurie Frankel. I’m a huge fan of both the narrator and the author.

Such a heartwarming story about family in all its configurations!

This is such a great great book! I LOVE Laurie Frankel’s writing, and this may be my favorite. This story has so much heart. I didn’t want to put this story about a different and special family aside. I listened to the Audiobook, which was so fabulous. The narrator brought every character and each voice to life. The characters are really well developed and lovely. Great dialogue. And boy, does Laurie have childrens’ thoughts and voices down. So funny. I chuckled throughout. So much love and laughter and tears (and cheers!!) A triumph.
Sent from my iPhone, excuse the typos!

Great story

I loved the twist and turns of the adoption process from all angles. A beautiful coming of age story for several of the characters I felt connected to the plot line and was interested in how the story would end I was not disappointed.