Eleanor Brown, New York Times bestselling author of THE WEIRD SISTERS, is back with a wonderful story about families. What does the term “family” even mean?
I’m always looking for a unique story. I think this story qualifies as just that. Three families are raising four children, all adopted and with the same birth mother, a young woman who was almost a child herself when she gave birth to her first child. She and the birth father were not able to raise these children. So their grandmother stepped in. And then grams passed away. Brianna, the mother, is a very lucky woman. She is able to find three sets of parents who are willing and able to adopt. Not your traditional family, for sure.
Ginger is single when she adopts the oldest daughter. It’s a great match. Tabitha and her husband, not able to have a child of their own, are thrilled to take the twins. And Elizabeth and her husband, just coming off another failed bout of Invitro are blindsided by the offer of a new born baby girl. So now there are three families and the birth mom.
It’s all even more complicated than it sounds. But Brown does a flawless job of opening up these people’s lives and showing us how they each got to this point. Brown knows what it’s like to adopt as she has done just that.
You’re probably asking yourself this question: Why is Brianna getting pregnant over and over again and giving her children away? That’s a great question and I’ll let you figure out that one along the way.
Tabitha is a planner. She’s the glue in this complex family. She has made it her mission to keep everyone close. Sunday dinners at her house, birthdays celebrated together so the children truly feel connected. After all they are siblings. Ginger is feeling too much togetherness. And Elizabeth is still reeling from taking on a newborn. Even though she loves baby Violet more than life itself, she is beating herself up and questioning her ability to be a good mother.
In the midst of all this the “family” is away on a “together” vacation in the mountains of Colorado when they get a call from Brianna. Brace yourself. She is pregnant again. Her loser boyfriend has once again come back, and stayed just long enough to make everything even more over-the-top crazy. Another baby on the way. Who will parent? No one is stepping up. Fingers are pointed.
What a wild and crazy portrait of motherhood Eleanor Brown has given us. It makes you think. It made me mad. And it made me think.
The writing is superb. The story is unique. Let me know what you think.
I borrowed my copy from the library and am not indebted to anyone for a review.
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