Thank you to Henry Holt Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was my first book by Laurie Frankel and I can see why she has so many passionate readers! Written with a touch of humor, this book explores the intricate and often emotional journey of adoption, while also delving into the complexities of modern relationships.
India is a successful actress who has found herself in the middle of a media firestorm. She is honest with a journalist when she says that her most recent movie is terrible. She wants everyone to know that as an adoptive mother, and as someone who placed a child for adoption, that the process does not necessarily have to be tragic and traumatic.
India has led an unconventional life, and I connected most with her as the main protagonist during the flashbacks to her life as a young actress and new mother. What sets this book apart is its ability to balance the emotional aspects of adoption with relatively lighthearted moments. Parenthood is tough no matter how you get there. The supporting characters bring an added layer of depth to the story, providing different perspectives on adoption.
๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ reminds us that family is not solely defined by blood ties, but by love and commitment. Laurie Frankelโs writing style is witty and entertaining and I look forward to reading her other novels.
โ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ, ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ.โ
About the Book:
โโNot all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why donโt we ever get that movie?โ
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 thereโs more to her family than pain and regret. So she does something you should never do โ she tells a journalist the truth: itโs a bad movie.
Soon sheโs 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 โ and who better to call than family? But thatโs where it gets really messy because Indiaโs not just an adoptive motherโฆ
The one thing she knows for sure is what makes a family isnโt blood. And it isnโt love. No matter how theyโre formed, the truth about family is this: it’s complicated.