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!

http://www.monniblog.com/2009/05/fami... ( )

This was a great book! ( )

Dana and Hugh Clarke's, a Caucasian couple, new baby has African American physical traits. Hugh is from a prominent New England family who can trace their roots back to the Mayflower. Dana doesn't know who her father is, other than a photo of a Caucasian-looking man and a name. How the family deals with this turn of events is the subject of this book.

Delinsky crafts a range of characters to display the different views people might have of the situation. For the most part, these characters are more realistic as individual people than they are stereotypes of different viewpoints. The biggest qualm I had with a character's actions was Hugh's maintaining that he was 100% certain that he was the father of the baby, Lizzie, and he wanted a paternity test only to prove to his family what he already knew while also making statements to his family, friends, and Dena that it could indeed be possible that she had cheated. I understand why he could have doubts, but later in the book he maintains that he never did despite his remarks previously.

The twist in the story was an evident possibility from the beginning, even if the characters didn't see it coming. The book continues another 100 pages from the reveal of the source of the baby's ancestry to show how the characters deal with the information. This was unexpected as usually books end shortly after the central story is resolved and I liked that Delinsky choose to extend the story.

I saw that the side story of Hugh's case against a powerful senator who fathered an illegitimate child now in need of medical case was included to show Hugh that he was still the same man, good and capable, but it also seemed added on and distracted from the main story. Similar points were made from Hugh's musing on past cases and his past, which felt natural to the story.

I also enjoyed that knitting and yarn were incorporated in the story. ( )

I loved the idea of the story ( I read a short story taking place pre-DNA testing once, with the same premise), so I was interested to see if it would have the same outcome (it did, but with a happier ending), so I knew what was coming. But some of the interesting side-stories didn't feel total resolved by the end of the book. Maybe it would have been too much to resolve each one? ( )

In FAMILY TREE, Dana Clarke is pregnant. She and her husband Hugh are expecting their first child with much anticipation. She is looking forward to raising her own family and creating a loving home, something she didn't have when she was growing up.

When she finally gives birth to her daughter, there is a big shock. While Dana and Hugh are both obviously white, their newborn daughter is not. She's definitely of African American descent, and now Dana is wondering who in her family was black. Hugh is able to trace his ancestry several centuries back, but there are a number of unknowns in Dana's background, including a father she knows nothing about. The birth of her daughter has now forced Dana to go in search of her roots, because it seems that Hugh isn't even sure he can trust Dana, accusing her of having an affair, possibly with their neighbor.