59 pages 1 hour read

Laurie Frankel

Family Family

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024

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Themes

The Complexities of Family

Family Family presents an unconventional family structure through the Allwoods, shedding light on how individuals can form familial bonds and how one’s perception of family can undergo significant shifts over time. India’s understanding of family structure undergoes significant evolution throughout the narrative, defying a static definition.

Initially, India’s family consists solely of herself and her mother. Upon falling in love, her family expands to include Robbie. Subsequently, following the birth of her child and her decision to entrust the baby to Camille, India’s perception of family evolves again as she experiences a sense of cosmic connection to the child despite not raising her. Following the breakup with Robbie and her relocation to New York, her concept of family undergoes another transformation as Dakota and her fellow actor friends become akin to family. The bonds formed through shared experiences, commitment, and emotional connections are thus depicted as being as compelling as those rooted in genetics.

During her initial two pregnancies, India did not perceive herself as the children's mother. Subsequently, her induction into motherhood occurs through adoption rather than reproduction, exemplifying her belief that “[t]here are lots of ways to make a family” (32).

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By Laurie Frankel