Family Tree

Barbara Delinsky

Edition	Paperback
List Price	$14.00
	$11.20 (Save 20%)

Published by	Broadway
Release date	2007-10-30
ISBN	0767925181
Availability	Usually ships in 24 hours

For as long as she can remember, Dana Clarke has longed for the stability of home and family. Now she has married a man she adores, whose heritage can be traced back to the Mayflower, and she is about to give birth to their first child. But what should be the happiest day of her life becomes the day her world falls apart. Her daughter is born beautiful and healthy, and in addition, unmistakably African-American in appearance. Dana?s determination to discover the truth about her baby?s heritage becomes a shocking, poignant journey. A superbly crafted novel, Family Tree asks penetrating questions about family and the choices people make in times of crisis.

Customer Reviews - courtesy of Amazon.com ( Marked4Sale.com is not responsible for review content )

Minus two stars

This book was written with a truly unlikely premise. It's about families who are shocked that there's mixed blood among them. Gimme a break, humans haven't been around for thousands of years without mating with "other" paramours. People next door, people in another tribe etc.

And for you religious nuts, we're all related anyway, aren't we? The Adam and Eve story comes to mind. So then, why the shock, nobody can be pure anything.

I was surprised to see some good reviews for this book. Surely you jest.

Just okay

I picked this up while enduring a long wait in an airport. I was intrigued by the plot and settled in for what I thought would be a thought provocking and interesting read.

Boy was I wrong.

Before I was half way through the book, I could tell the author hadn't spent much time with black people. It really bothered me that all the black characters were mixed, living in a relatively white community. The characters seemed paper thin and I never got attached or had feelings for any of them. They just seemed fake. The sub plots seemed forced and there never was a nice blend with the main story line. It was highly predicatable with a sugary sweet ending.

I was at the mercy of the airport shops when I bought this, but if you want a quick read, borrow it from the library, a friend or get it used.

It really is an interesing topic, but I think it deserves more depth.

Should have been better.

Barbara Delinsky had a very interesting idea for a book. Take a young couple who deliver a child with obvious different racial features. How would they react, interact, and respond? How would they examine any hidden racial discrimination? The author attempted to answer these questions in Family Tree, but came up short. The characters irritated me too much with forced dialog and artificial behavior. Thin character development was a problem. The good premise faded fast. This potential five star book has been mishandled. Because the issue was thought provoking, I felt it still deserved three stars.

Family History Mystery

Excellent book by Barbara Delinsky. Loved the story line. If you're into Family History, you'll love this book.

Delinsky delivers again!

I am a long-time fan of Barbara Delinsky. Her stories are fascinating and her characters are believable and deep. Delinsky consistently delivers a tale with twists and turns, with romance and mystery. In this story, a white couple welcomes the birth of their baby, only to experience a shock when the infant clearly has African American traits. Blue-blood Hugh and his wife, Dana, who never knew her father, are at odds with each other over the "blame" and each one begins a journey of discovery. Dana looks into her roots while Hugh faces yet another surprise.

Like all Delinsky novels, The Family Tree is ripe with women supporting one another. In this book, the connecting thread is the yarn store owned by her grandmother, where the customers become family, in more ways than one.

Treat yourself to a wonderful read and grab a copy of The Family Tree. If you're a knitter, you will love this book even more as it creates a glorious picture of the haven that a yarn shop can provide. If you don't knit, I'll bet you'll check out a shop after you finish the book!!