family-treeI read this book in about three days; It was a quick, enjoyable read. I picked the book up at the Vancouver Public Library seasonal Book Sale. They basically clear out a ton of collection and donations in a huge sale.

From the publisher:

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 neat underlying backstory that I found very interesting was a knit shop that Dana’s grandma owned and ran. Very cool touch. Felt a little bit like The Friday Night Knitting Club without trying too hard. I laughed out loud at one point when they’re rushing to the hospital because Dana has gone into labour, and Hugh picks up the hospital bag and knitting falls out. And Hugh says, “What are there eight balls in here?” and Dana replies, “Six, but it’s heavy worsted, which means not much yardage, and I didn’t want to risk running out. Don’t be impatient, Hugh. Knitting comforts me.” And then Hugh glances at the closet which contains her stash and she says, “it’s not as big as some…” LOL

The writing of Barbara Delinsky is easy to read, calm, and soft. She captures the characters, their flawas and strengths, and balances dialogue with description very well. A little predictable, but not in a dead-obvious-the-characters-must-be-stupid way. Still, I enjoyed the book, but can’t say much more without delving into the plot line and risking spoilers!